Passions Defined
by furryfurry69
Summary: A man wakes up in an unfamiliar world where anthropomorphic beings rule. The warriors of the Jade Palace take him under their wing and show him what it means to truly find peace. "Nothing could've prepared him for this. Everything is gone. Not just his family. Not just his friends. Not just his home. His entire world." [OC x Tigress]
1. Chapter 1

His vision was a little fuzzy, but the pain truly kept him from focusing. It felt as if he had been stabbed in the back multiple times before being beat over the head with a golf club. He reached for his throbbing head and groaned slightly which seemed to alert something in the room. He could make out four bodies through his blurred vision. He seemed to be lying on some sort of flat lawn chair; the uncomfortable weave on his sore back made that very apparent to him. The room was humid, but the gentle flow of cool air made it seem as if the walls were paper thin.

As his vision adjusted even more he could see the five bodies in front of him take form. He immediately took note of the massive body difference between each of the figures. One of them was as big as a bear while another looked as skinny as a pole. He even noticed figure that seemed to be sitting on the bear figure's shoulder that was roughly the size of his hand.

He rubbed his eyes and tried to focus more intently on these strange figures. Once his sight had fully cleared, his body froze. The figures were not people but mere animals glaring directly at him. The aggregation of animals seemed almost unbelievable. There was a tiger, a panda, a snake, a monkey, a large bird of some sort, and a bug all focusing their attention on him. His instincts kicked in and he stilled his body, his initial thought being that they would not attack him if he did not put up a fight. His eyes began to dart between each creature as they all just raised their brow in confusion at him. His eyes widened. He had never seen an animal raise their brow. Heck, he'd never seen an animal look so comfortable standing on their hind legs. That's when he began to notice that they were not normal animals. there was something about them that made them seem almost amiable. Regardless, the animals having affable demeanors did not sway him from his current panic attack.

Silence overcame the room, and even the soft blow of wind could not diffuse the gauche predicament. Eyes began to flicker around the room before they all seemed to rest on the panda.

A gentle clearing of the throat was made before a voice filled the room. This voice did not come from the man laying on the lawn chair either.

"So… What's up?" The panda spoke with deep, male voice.

"Way to be formal Po," the bird rolled his eyes at the panda as he spoke with a higher pitched masculine tone.

"At least I'm trying," the panda retorted.

"Enough you two!" The snake interrupted, her motherly voice cutting through the bickering. "This isn't getting us anywhere!"

"S-stop doing that!" The man finally spoke, the sudden outburst making everybody jump.

"Doing what?" The panda or Po replied.

"Talking! Y-you're not s-supposed to be able to d-do that!"

The man's outburst just increased the amount confusion within the room..

"Excuse me?" The bug questioned.

The man began to turn his body in an attempt to climb off the reclined chair while shouting, "I want to leave! I want to get out of here! Let me leave!"

"Oh, no you don't!" The tiger shot an arm out in his direction and forced him back into the chair. "You aren't going anywhere until you give us answers!"

Her forceful action and domineering female voice caused him to freeze up again and rapidly nod his head in compliance.

"Tigress!" The snake shouted at the tiger while attempting to pry her arm from his body. "You're scaring him! Let him be!"

The tiger retracted her arm and growled. The situation began to grow more and more uncomfortable by the second. Another clearing of the throat was heard before the snake began to speak.

"I'm sorry about all this. let's start from the beginning. I'm Viper, this is Tigress, Mantis, that's Crane, that's Monkey, and this is Po." She pointed to each member in the room respectively. The names were all stereotypical except Po. He seemed to be the only one with an out of place name.

"Ok…" He muttered as his eyes darted everywhere trying to avoid eye contact with any of them. "I-I'm Aden."

"Aden? That's a pretty interesting name. Don't know anybody with it around here," Mantis added.

"Um… Thank you?" He was still flustered, but his speech was beginning to return.

"What are you, and how did you get here?" Tigress .

"I'm a human, and I don't know," He returned quickly, fear painting his tone.

They all glanced at each other with curious looks.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Aden added as his body began to curl up into a fetal position.

"I'm surprised you only feel a little sick after the epic fall you had!" Po chimed in.

Aden's head rose slowly after hearing this. He glared at the creature who asked such a bizarre question with a look of pure bewilderment. The panda rubbed his paws together and glanced around the room to 4 sets of wide eyes and a set of disapproving ones.

"Something I said?" He eventually questioned.

"What fall?" Aden questioned the panda with such directness and confidence it was as if he forgot he was speaking to an anthropomorphic creature.

"Uh… Yeah, don't you remember?"

"Of course he doesn't remember you idiot!" Mantis interjected as he plastered a tiny claw to his forehead. "We found him unconscious!"

"How could somebody be unconscious while they fall from the sky?" Po retorted.

"They sky?!" Adan shouted, startling the group. "What the hell is going on?!"

"Calm down," Viper quickly soothed. "Just tell us what you remember, and we'll do our best to help you."

"I don't remember anything," Aden spoke up. "I just remember going to… work, and then I woke up here."

"Where do you work?" Viper chimed in.

"I wouldn't bet on anywhere around here," Aden responded. "This place doesn't look anything like Madison."

They all looked at each other with quizzical looks before Po spoke up. "I don't think there's a Madison anywhere in China."

Aden's body flung up in an instant and shouted with a barreling voice that could knock over buildings, "China!?"

Everyone took a step back at his outburst except Tigress, who donned a protective look. His body fought through the pain as he tried to sit up completely.

"No! Don't get up!" Viper alerted. "You're body is still healing!"

"Stop moving," Tigress finally spoke in a matter of fact tone, as she took a step forward before shooting her right arm directly at his chest with the intention of shoving him back into his laying position. Aden's instincts immediately intervened as his left arm shot up blocking her paw from making contact. He immediately regretted his decision as the pain in the blocking arm began to set in. He felt like it was going to fall right off.

Nobody seemed to notice him grimace from the pain, though. They were all too wide eyed at the action itself. Tigress hadn't even budged after her arm had been stopped mid punch.

"How… How did you move so fast?!" Monkey was the first to ask.

But before he could answer, Tigress used her other arm to push him back onto the flat chair and make his hand release her. He let out a disgruntled yell as his back made contact, while an unpleasant glare rested upon her face.

"That was awesome!" Po nearly jumped he was so excited. "You totally just stopped _the_ Master Tigress! Do you know how cool that is?! Oh-ho-HO you have got to show me your moves!"

"Do you know Kung Fu?" Mantis prodded.

"No…" He was able to squeak out through the pain in his arm and back.

"You mean that you just blocked Tigress without any Kung Fu training?" Po questioned while he covered his cheeks with his hands excitedly. "You should do Kung Fu with us!"

"Po!" Tigress burst out. "He got lucky, and Master Shifu doesn't even know that he's here."

"Tigress, lighten up," Mantis interjected.

"Po wasn't serious," Viper agreed with Mantis. "And, he hasn't done anything that would deem him a threat."

"Yeah," Po coughed slightly. "I was totally kidding..."

Tigress just growled and stormed out of the room, thrusting the sliding door closed on the way out.

"She's right though," Crane voiced. "Master Shifu hasn't even been alerted that we brought him into the Jade Palace, and I don't think he is going to take this lightly."

Po let out an exasperated sigh, and questioned Aden further. "Are you a fighter at all?"

"No," He replied, plainly.

"Does that mean you wouldn't be able to block another punch if somebody threw one at you?"

"What do you mea- OW!"

A fuzzy fist was thrust at his shoulder, making impact with a solid _smack _sound. This wasn't a joking punch you would give your best friend either. The panda may look like his punches would feel like pillows, but those pillows are full of rocks.

"Po!" Viper shouted, exasperatedly. "What are you doing?!"

"I was just testing if he would stop my punch!" Po defensively returned

"While he's still healing?!"

Aden had his unharmed arm grasping his shoulder as he writhed back and forth muttering, "son of a bitch!" under his breath. He hunched himself over so he was in the fetal position again and lay down on his side. The constant bickering between the group and the pain in his entire body, but mostly his arm, was too much and he finally snapped.

"Leave me alone!" He finally released. The bickering instantly ceased.

Aden was had began to shiver as he was overcome with fear, confusion, sadness, and anger. He had nowhere to go, he didn't know anybody, and this probably wasn't even the same universe as his. These 'people' didn't seem like they wanted to hurt him, but he couldn't take the stress anymore.

"I just want to be left alone," he added.

"Ok, we'll give you some privacy," Viper concluded as she slithered out of the room with the rest of the group behind her.

"Sorry," was the final word uttered from Po as he exited last.

His shivering began to slow as his emotions settled. He let time pass by and eventually his body fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

**I wrote this.**

**More coming soon.**

**Leave a comment and follow plz. **

**I love you.**

**\- Danny**


	2. Chapter 2

Aden woke from his slumber a few hours later. He yawned and attempted to stretch his arms but immediately retracted them when he felt the achyness return. His body still hurt, but the pain had subsided greatly. A frustrated sigh flew from his mouth as he lay back down. He was much calmer than before, but that's not saying much.

"I would still take it easy for a little while."

He quickly turned his head to see where the voice came from before looking down at his feet. The snake, which he now knew as Viper, was looking at him with a concerned gaze.

"Uh, hey," he returned without making eye contact.

Viper could sense how uncomfortable he was and spoke up again.

"Listen, we know you've been through a lot, and we're extremely sorry about bombarding you with questions. We're just as confused as you, but I can see how you're in a much worse predicament."

Aden's facial expression drooped.

"I'm sorry!" She chimed in with a worried look plastered on her face. "I didn't mean for it to sound like that!"

Aden actually felt his body somewhat relax after hearing that. A snake just consoled him. He was listening to the genuine emotion of concern resonate from a serpent's mouth. This isn't like a snake from his own world. Viper is fully capable of complex thought and just trying help him. He exhaled some of the nervousness he held before speaking again.

"It's ok," he replied, his eyes still not meeting hers. "You are only trying to help."

Viper allowed a soft smile to creep its way onto her face.

"Feeling any better?"

"Um… The pain has lessened, but I can't move very fast."

"That's good news! Do you have the strength to walk?"

Without responding Aden shifted and put his feet on the ground. He applied small amounts of pressure and hoisted himself up slowly. When he was standing completely upright and stable he gave her an answering nod. She gave a gleaming smile and flicked her tail in a gesture for him to follow.

"Come on, you're probably starving."

He slowly made his way out of the room and followed her down hall, admiring all of the cultural architecture and decor as he passed it. He had always fantasized about travelling the world, but he'd hoped it'd be his own world. The hallway eventually led to a door, which small talk emanated from. He noticed the lack of a doorknob, which he guessed would be a common thing around here. Viper slid the door open and stood in the doorway with Aden close behind. The conversations grinded to a halt as five sets of eyes gazed at him.

"Hey, look who's up!" Mantis let out in an attempt to relieve some tension.

Aden stood in the doorway with a uncomfortable half-smile on his face. The group could see Aden's features much more clearly now that he was standing up and in much brighter light. He was almost six feet tall, maybe a few inches shy. Jet black and slightly short hair rested on his head in a plain style. His contrasting caucasian skin had a very smooth complexion that was unfamiliar to the human-like animals. One thing that caught Po's eye was how skinny he was. His lanky figure was much more visible as he slowly made his way to the table and took off the baggy sweatshirt he had been found in.

He placed the sweatshirt on the chair and sat down. Everybody had a curious look on their face, except Tigress who just sat with annoyed scowl.

"Wow," Po spoke up. "I didn't think somebody as tiny as you would be able to block an attack from Tigress."

Aden was used to the comments about how skinny he was, so it didn't bother him in the slightest. However, it was a little weird coming form anthropomorphic beings, and he did begin to feel uncomfortable when everybody would not avert their gaze from him.

He cleared his throat before speaking. "Um… Could I get something to eat? I'm pretty hungry."

Po immediately snapped out of his gaze and shook his head slightly, as if he had blanked out for a minute.

Po stood up from his seat and gestured for Aden to sit down. "Sorry! Let me get you some noodle soup!"

"Sorry for staring," Monkey added softly. "We just aren't used to anything like you."

"I know what you mean…" Aden replied quietly with a small twinge of sarcasm.

By now Po had returned to the table with a steaming bowl of food for Aden. The aroma was absolutely intoxicating, and Aden took a huge whiff right away. He picked up the spoon, slowly dipped it into the bowl, and brought a spoonful up to his mouth, gently letting the fluid glide down his throat. A satisfied moan was released as he sat back in his chair and admired the flavor.

"This is really good," Aden let Po know in a tone that almost masked his uneasy feeling about his entire situation upon arriving. "Thank you."

He smiled warmly. "You're welcome, I used to work in a noodle shop before I became the Dragon Warrior."

Aden raised an eyebrow at this. "Dragon Warrior?"

"Oh, I was chosen by Master Oogway-basically the wisest and coolest guy to have ever lived-to fight evil, basically."

Aden's brow rose even higher at this. "A panda?"

"Looks can be deceiving. I've kicked every bad guy's butt in the Valley!" Po showed off a few kicks and punches while shouting every variation of 'Hi-yah,' at noone in particular..

"Way to stay modest Po," Mantis laughed.

Aden couldn't help but give a small chuckle at Po too. The chubby panda reminded him of a friend growing up. His reminiscing curved the corners of his lips into a smirk, which caught the eye of Viper.

"That's the first smile I've seen from you," she pointed out.

Aden looked over at her and held his smile for a few more seconds before allowing it to fall back to a somber one.

"Don't worry, dude," Po added in an uplifting tone. "We're going to help you get through this."

"Help with what exactly?"

Every pair of eyes turned to see an old-looking, red panda standing in the doorway. Before anybody could provide an answer, the aged panda spoke again.

"So, you are the strange creature that fell from the sky my students told me about."

Aden nervously rubbed his arm and gave a quick nod.

"You're no a threat to us. That much I can tell," The red panda added.

Aden gave an uncomfortable chuckle before uneasily speaking. "I'm Aden, and I need help getting home."

"My name is Master Shifu, and you can refer to me as such," he returned, which Aden gave a firm nod to. "Now, where is your home?"

"Uh… Madison? It's a city in Wisconsin." An anxious crack in his voice made itself present as Aden spoke.

"I've never heard of such a place," Shifu bluntly responded. "And, given that your appearance is nothing like any of us have ever seen, I'm unsure if a place like that exists in our world."

Aden's face grew a forlorn expression as he looked down at the bowl of soup in front of him. "Ok…" was all he could muster as a reply.

"However," Master Shifu started again. "Even though we may not be able to guide you home, I'm going to ask that you stay at the Jade Palace for the time being."

"Master Shifu!" Tigress blurted out as she quickly rose from her seat. "We shouldn't gallow an intruder to access to the Jade Palace!"

"He's not an intruder," Viper defended Aden. "And besides, what's he supposed to do? Fend for himself in a world he knows nothing about?"

"Viper is right, Tigress," Shifu continued. "I fear his foreign appearance would attract too much unwanted attention right now."

Aden turned his attention briefly towards Tigress, who scowled at him while lowering herself back in her chair. His eyes danced amongst the crowd of characters in front of him before landing back on Shifu.

He spoke simply and quietly. "Thank you, Master Shifu."

Shifu gave a quick nod before orienting himself out of the room. "Be at the training hall in 15 minutes."

All but Aden spoke at once. "Yes, Master."

They all listened to the slow pats of Shifu's feet walk away. Aden looked around the room in silence, waiting for somebody to start.

"You can relax in your room while we train," Viper took the lead with. "You remember which room is yours?"

"Mhmm.." Aden replied with tired eyes.

They all quickly finished up their meals and went on their way. Aden found himself dragging his feet all the way to his room. He opened the door and quickly made his way to the bed, his head slapping against the pillow as dove face down into it. The room remained still for a moment, but the muffled sobs quickly overtook the silence.

Nothing could've prepared him for this. Everything is gone. Not just his family. Not just his friends. Not just his home. His entire world. His stomach began to grow queasy, so he dashed from the bed to go find the nearest trash can. When he saw none in his room, he moved to the door to hopefully find something close by. He quickly decided that going outside would be a safer bet and ran towards the nearest exit. He flung the door open, darted to the grass, and dropped to his hands and knees. A couple quick dry heaves left his mouth before Aden finally gave in.

Time seemed to drag after letting his recently filled stomach empty. He moved a few feet away from the mess before laying down in the grass. His eyes remained wide open and looked up at nothing in particular. The clouds lazily flew by, as Aden remained motionless. Minutes passed, which eventually turned into hours. Aden simply laid there unmoving. He kept thinking about what his next move would be. Should he start a new life here, or should he focus on getting home? Where is home, though? On a different planet? During a different time? In an entirely different universe? He didn't have a clue where to begin. So, he just laid there.

Aden couldn't pinpoint the exact amount of time that had passed, but he finally felt ready to move again. Where he was going to go, he wasn't sure. He picked himself up off the ground and made his way along a nearby path that directed him away from the living quarters. As he walked, he started to appreciate the peacefulness that surrounded him. He hadn't truly noticed how calm the environment was while laying down and lost in his thoughts. Madison wasn't a huge city by any means, but there were enough people to allow the commotion of city-life to resonate from every corner of it. Here, all that could be heard was the wind.

After a few minutes of walking, he came to a set of stone steps that seemed to lead to a cliff. He paused for a second before slowly ascending the flight of stairs. Each step he took let the sound of shoes scraping against stone ring out into the air. As he reached the top, he noticed a beautiful, fruit-bearing tree perched near the edge of the cliff. He approached the tree and looked it up and down before plucking one of its fruits, which he now recognized as a peach. He tossed it up in the air a few times before finally taking a bite and sitting down at the base of the tree.

He had to admit, the view was nothing like he'd ever seen before. The sun kissed the rolling hills, as the wind sang a wistful tune through the leaves of the peach tree. His eyes shut for a brief moment to take in sounds and smells alone.

"I see you've found the sacred peach tree of heavenly wisdom."

Upon hearing the unknown voice, Aden jerked his head towards the stone steps that led up here. When he saw nothing, he shrugged his shoulders, took another bite out of the peach, and turned back to his original position, where he saw a turtle floating 5 feet out past the edge of the cliff. The small chunk of fruit Aden was chewing on was quickly sucked down the wrong pipe when he saw the hovering reptile. He let out a few strained coughs and pounded on his chest in an attempt to dislodge the recently inhaled peach flesh.

"I see you are confused," the turtle replied. "In more ways than one."

"What gave it away?" Aden sarcastically replied, clearing his throat a few more times.

The apparition gave a short chuckle. "I am Master Oogway."

"You're the guy that chose the panda as the dragon warrior," Aden pointed out, which the turtle responded with a slow nod.

There was a brief pause before Aden spoke again. "Uh… So, are you like..."

"Dead? Oh, yes," Oogway interrupted, twirling around in the air like a ballet dancer. "But, that's not the type question you seek answers for, is it?"

"Why am I here?" Aden asked, an urgent look plastered on his face.

"Ahh, there we go." Master Oogway floated towards the edge and gently touched his feet down a couple feet from where Aden stood. "Now, why do you want to know the answer to that question?"

Aden simply returned an incredulous look that could pierce the turtle's shell.

"Life isn't much fun when you have all the answers," Oogway giggled.

"I don't need all the answers," Aden's frustration seeped through his words as he gripped his forehead between his thumb and index finger. "How did I get here?"

"The universe brought you here. Your destiny didn't exist in your world."

"My destiny?..."

"All will be revealed in due time, young warrior."

Aden raised an eyebrow at this. "I think the universe picked the wrong guy. I'm a musician, not a fighter"

"The universe has a wonderful sense of humor, doesn't it?"

There was a brief pause in the conversation before Aden spoke again. "What about my life back on earth? Will I ever be able to see my family or friends again?"

Master Oogway's smile faltered. "Following your destiny comes at a price, unfortunately."

Aden remained silent upon hearing this. His eyes started to well up with tears, but he quickly rubbed them before any could trickle down his cheek.

"I hope they're alright…" Aden trailed off as Oogway regained his smile.

"That's the heart you were chosen for. Take care, Master Lyric."

"Master Lyric?" Aden questioned, but he received no answer as Master Oogway floated back up into the air surrounded by a vortex of pink, peach tree blossoms and vanished.

The petals fluttered to the ground, while Aden stared off into space where the turtle just disappeared. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, but the petals remained scattered across the grass.

"Master Lyric…" He repeated to himself, as the corners of his mouth raised. "Not too bad."

* * *

**Here's more garbo**

**I'll bear your children if you fav, follow, and review**

**\- Jerry**


	3. Chapter 3

A full week had passed since Aden had woken up in the Jade Palace. The air was still thick with an uneasy tension, as he tried his best to acclimate to the new world. His days were conducted repetitively and with a somber expression. Wake up. Eat. Sit in his room. Cry. Eat again. Sleep. Rinse and repeat. Some days he'd take a stroll up to the peach tree and lay there for quite a while, silently hoping that Master Oogway's spirit would return to ease his mind from the plethora of unanswered questions but to no avail.

He hadn't mentioned that he was visited by the wise turtle to the other inhabitants of the Jade Palace yet, but that was because talking to anthropomorphic beings was still a nerve-wracking experience for him. The furious five made various attempts to communicate with Aden, but they were typically met with one word responses and almost always without eye contact. The only one that had any luck of holding longer conversations with Aden was the Dragon Warrior. The lighthearted nature of the panda helped him relax and slowly come to terms with the unique form of intelligent life in this new world.

Aden laid on his bed with his hands tucked behind his head, the sun bouncing off the thin walls letting him know it was about midday. A sudden rap was heard at the door, which caused Aden to move into a sitting position.

Aden let out a quick sigh before speaking. "Come in."

The door slide open to reveal the panda twiddling his thumbs.

"Oh, hey, Master… Uh... Dragon Warrior," Aden awkwardly addressed him.

The flabby panda grew a smile and chuckled. "Don't get me wrong, It's beyond cool to hear 'Master Dragon Warrior.' But, you can just call me Po."

Aden returned a brief smile. "Alright."

"I came here to ask if you were interested in meditating together."

"Um, sure, I guess... I've never done it before."

"I can show you the ropes. Master Shifu says it might be a good idea to give it a try."

"Well, what do I need to do?"

Po sat down and lightly patted the floor next to him. "First, you take a seat on the floor."

Aden stood up, moved next to Po, and took a seat without saying a word.

"Awesome. Now, close your eyes."

Aden did as he was told, slowly letting his eyelids lower until his vision disappeared.

"Inhale slowly for 6 seconds."

Aden breathed in at a rate that matched Po's.

"Exhale for 8."

He felt his mind begin to relax, as he finished his first focused breath.

"In for 6."

Most of his energy was now directed at his breathing alone.

"Out for 8."

His mind and body were now fully immersed in meditation. The struggles from the past week were temporarily dissolving, as his mind reached a state of pure tranquility.

"Hey... You hungry?"

And with that, the switch had been flipped. Aden burst out laughing at Po's amusing question. He leaned back until he was laying the floor while his hands held onto stomach in an attempt to control his fit of laughter.

"Uh, we don't have to get a snack if you don't want," Po's confusion at Aden's reaction shined through in his tone. "I just wanted to check if you had enough... meditation fuel."

Aden's outburst had subsided into giggling, giving him an opportunity to respond. "You know what? A snack sounds perfect, Po. Thanks."

Po returned a smile and a nod before they both stood up and walked out of the room. As they walked towards the kitchen, Aden couldn't help but glance over at Po. His eyes told him animal, but his heart was now telling him human. He had been so conflicted on how to function in a world where no people existed, but what makes him a person? On his home world, only humans possessed a level of consciousness that allowed them to exist in a complex society. But here, that concept no longer existed. This world took those concepts, tossed them out the window, and let the unique world around him blossom.

As they approached the kitchen, they heard 2 voices echo from it. They crossed the doorway threshold to find Viper and Crane enjoying a cup of tea. Both of their heads turned towards Po and Aden upon hearing them enter.

Viper made eye contact with Aden. "Woah, is that a smile I see? That's 2 in one week."

Aden chuckled at her comment. "I guess Po's stomach gave me something to laugh about."

Crane and Viper giggled.

"Oh we're quite familiar with that feeling," Crane chimed in.

"Hey now," Po defended himself. "How's the Dragon Warrior supposed to save the world on an empty stomach?"

"I wouldn't say 'empty,'" Crane retorted.

Aden's smile remained perched on his face as the 2 made friendly jabs at Po. The camaraderie amongst the fighters was pleasing to watch. It made him feel much more at home.

"You know," Viper addressed Aden. "You don't have to stay in your room all day."

"Yeah!" Po added. "You should totally come watch us train."

Aden thought it over for a second before giving a light smile. "Sure. That sounds good."

"Great!" Viper happily replied. "Training starts in an hour."

Po gave a double thumbs up before walking to a cupboard and pulling out a bag of cookies. Aden took one and munched on it while Po scarfed a few down. The 4 of them chatted lightly for a few minutes before Crane and Viper left. The remaining 2 people in the ktichen finished snacking and moved back to Aden's room to continue meditating, this time without any distractions from Po's stomach.

Po led Aden to the training hall once it was time to head over. Aden was slightly nervous as to how Master Shifu would react to him watching, but Po assured him it wouldn't be a problem.

"It's gonna be fine," Po reassured him. "Master Shifu knows you're not a threat, so why would he care if you watched."

Aden simply shrugged as a response.

"Besides," Po continued. "Viper, Crane, and I vouching for you. That's 3 against 1!"

A chuckle escaped Aden at Po's last comment as they approached the training hall. It was a beautifully constructed, wood building with red accents throughout. The double doors that led into the training hall were covered in ornate markings and creaked as they were pushed open. Inside held a training dojo unlike any he'd ever seen. There were spiked posts with rotating arms, a platform of tubes that spit fire, rings hanging from the ceiling with knives spaced along the outside, and a massive jade colored bowl sitting in the middle of the room. There were even geese sitting up in the rafters with loaded crossbows!

Master Shifu glanced over at the panda and human as they entered the building. Aden made eye contact with the senior master and gave a sheepish smile. Shifu simply nodded in response and turned to face the remaining students who were busy stretching.

"You can just hang out right here while we train," Po motioned for Aden to take a seat next to one of those egg-shaped punching bags that always return to an upright position.

Aden followed his instructions while Po ran over to join his fellow warriors. A few minutes went by before training began, and Aden became enthralled with what they were doing instantly. It was like an elegant dance as the students glided through the labyrinth of obstacles at Shifu's command. The person he found the most fascinating to watch was Tigress. The look in her eyes had one of pure focus and determination. Her movements were polished and graceful, and every attack held immense power. He got lost with in her every motion as she worked.

Training ran for 2 hours, while Aden sat patiently and watched. Shifu eventually raised his palm up in the air indicating for them to stop. They all rushed to him and waited for his next direction.

"You have 15 minutes before we begin sparring," he addressed them.

"Yes, Master," they all returned at once.

The group dispersed to use their 15 minute break, so Aden decided to take a short walk outside. He walked down the steps of the training hall but didn't make it much farther than that before being blocked by a certain tiger.

Aden jumped in surprise, as Tigress appeared in front of him.

"You were staring at me," She stated matter of factly, while her sour glare drilled into him.

Aden rubbed his an arm nervously. "Um... I was watching all of you."

"You were staring at me," Tigress repeated, her gaze growing more hostile. "Almost like a spy would if they were trying to find flaws in their technique to use against them."

"What? No!" Aden countered. "I was just… impressed is all."

Aden received no reaction from Tigress, her demeanor completely unchanging.

"Your… um… movements are very focused."

Tigress ignored his comment. "How did you stop my attack from before?"

"I don't know."

"Stop lying and tell me why you're here."

"I'm not lying!" Aden shouted, frustration taking over his vocal control. "Why do you hate me? I've done nothing to warrant this resentment from you!"

"You've done nothing to warrant my trust either," she growled back.

"I don't care!" He shot back, his voice raising even further. "Just leave me the fuck alone!"

He attempted to plow past her only to have her grab his arm and twist it. This allowed her to easily spin and drop him to his knees. He tried to wriggle free, but her hold on him only tightened.

"Let go of me!" He yelled.

"Not until I get the truth," she replied, her voice firm.

"I said, let go of me!"

Then, in one swift movement he kicked a leg back and made contact with her foot. The unexpected hit caused her to loosen her grip just enough for him to untwist his arm and spin around on his knees and land a kick directly on her stomach, all in a matter of seconds. The resulting strike resulted in Tigress stumbling a few feet back and falling to her butt.

Silence filled the air as Aden and Tigress gazed at each other with wide eyes. However, Tigress' disbelieving gaze didn't last for long before it turned into a fiery one.

"Tigress…" There was a shakiness in Aden's voice. "I'm really sorry. I didn't do that on purpose, I swear."

Tigress only saw red as she got to all fours and lunged at him while baring her teeth and claws, but her attack never made contact. The small form of Master Shifu had moved in front of Aden in a defensive pose. Shifu's timing was impeccable as he subdued her with a few rapid movements with his staff.

Upon seeing Tigress being held back by Shifu, Aden looked over at the entrance of the training hall to see 5 sets of bewildered eyes.

"That's enough, Tigress," Master Shifu finally spoke. "I will handle it from here."

Tigress growled and shot daggers with her eyes at Aden before turning and walking towards the training hall.

"Woo-hoo!" Po exclaimed as he ran down the steps towards Aden and Shifu. "That was_ severely _cool! She was all like 'you're gonna do what I say,' and you were all like 'nu-uh, I'm going to bust out some kung fu craziness on you,' then she was all li-"

"Po!" Master Shifu interrupted, stopping Po's tirade. "That's enough from you too."

"But Master Shifu, he could help us! He knows Kung Fu!"

The red panda chose not to respond to Po's retort and directed his attention back to Aden. "Where did you learn to fight?"

"I didn't," Aden answered plainly. "I swear I've never fought a thing in my life."

"That can't be true," Shifu pinched his forehead as he spoke. "Master Tigress can't be bested by somebody with no formal training."

"Well, I'm not sure what to tell you, but I've never raised my fists to anybody on my home world. This world seems to work differently than back home. Maybe when the universe chose me, it gave me special powers. I don't know, I'm just as confused as you."

Shifu raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by 'the universe chose you?'"

"Um… So, this is going to sound completely insane, but that turtle guy that made Po the Dragon Warrior-what was his name? Oogway?-Well, his ghost or spirit or whatever visited me at the peach tree and told me the universe brought me here to become a warrior or something."

Po squealed. "Master Oogway came back from the spirit realm to tell you about your destiny?! Looks like we got a new student of the Jade Palace!"

"Po, could you try to refrain from speaking for just minute," Shifu's exasperated voice cut through.

"Master Shifu, he got a letter from the universe, and you're just going to return it to sender?"

Shifu looked at Po sternly. "I don't know, yet. I need time to process this. Training is cancelled for the afternoon, while I look through the archives."

"Yes, Master," echoed through the air as Shifu walked away.

Po looked over at Aden and gave him a wink. "You better start getting used to saying that."

* * *

**My favorite color is blue.**

**Free kisses for all who fav, follow, and comment.**

**\- Jennifer**


	4. Chapter 4

A week had passed since the fiasco by the training hall. Aden kept to himself for the most part, and he especially made sure to keep his distance from the others while they trained. Tigress was the only person he was truly hesitant to interact with, but the risk of another confrontation wasn't worth it in his mind. His room in the student barracks became his sole source of comfort in the days that followed the event, which is where Aden resided currently.

His mind was spinning. The amount of questions he had exponentially exploded after everything that had transpired. Where did he learn to fight? Did always know how to fight? How was he able to beat a kung fu master? Why couldn't he channel this ability on his home world? How does he channel the ability now? Was it instinct?

His inner musings were brought to halt when he heard a rap at the door. He sat up from his bed and called out for whoever was there to enter. The door slid open to reveal Po, who asked if he'd like to to meditate by the peach tree. Seeing as he had nothing better to do, Aden took Po up on his offer.

The walk to the peach tree was done in silence. Even after arriving, they both sat quietly for a few minutes before Po couldn't hold back any longer and began bombarding him with questions about Master Oogway's spirit. Aden was a little hesitant to divulge the conversation between him and the grandmaster at first, but after seeing the panda's eyes light up with an earnest interest, he recited the interaction with as much detail as he could remember.

"I can't believe the universe brought you here!" Po jovially spoke. "That makes you one of the coolest people in existence!"

Aden chuckled. "I wouldn't go that far, but it probably puts me somewhere on the coolness spectrum."

"Don't sell yourself so short. You were ripped from your own home to fulfill an awesome destiny in a brand new world!"

"Yeah, I guess," Aden frowned. "I just wish I could've said goodbye."

Po sighed empathetically. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Aden looked at Po with a quizzical gaze.

"I never knew my biological parents," Po spoke somberly.

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Aden consoled.

"Ahh, don't worry about it, I still have a dad. He's a goose that runs a noodle shop down in the valley, and he's the best dad I could've asked for. Besides, family isn't always about where you're from; it's about who you're with."

Aden sat quietly for a few moments reflecting on Po's comment before growing a beautifully sincere smile.

"Thanks, Po."

"Anytime brotato," Po responded, tucking his hands behind his head, closing his eyes, and leaning back against the peach tree.

"Sorry to interrupt your little date," the voice of Mantis came from the steps. "But, Master Shifu wants to see Aden in the Hall of Warriors."

Po and Aden curiously glanced at each other before standing up and following Mantis down the steps. The group made idle conversation until they came upon the main entrance to the Hall of Warriors. All three of them walked in to find Master Shifu anxiously pacing back and forth while the remainder of the furious furious five talked amongst themselves. Upon seeing the group enter, Master Shifu turned his head towards them and stopped pacing. The remaining bodies already inside the room also stopped conversing to watch Aden, Po, and Mantis approach Master Shifu.

The room was eerily quiet, which caused Aden to grow apprehensive as he made his way over to Shifu. He attempted to hide his nervousness, but everyone could read him clear as day. It didn't help that Tigress was boring holes into him with her scowl and piercing, narrowed eyes.

"Thank you for coming," Master Shifu began.

Aden nodded in return.

"You said you spoke with Master Oogway, correct?"

Aden nodded again.

Shifu turned his head towards Crane and gave a nod of his own as a signal for him to approach. Crane spun around, picked a large wooden object up off the ground, and began walking towards them. As Crane neared the group while holding the object in his winged arms, Aden noticed the shape resembled a an instrument the was very familiar with.

Once Crane had reached Shifu, Aden raised his brow as he gazed at the stringed musical instrument up close. Shifu grabbed the neck of the instrument and held it out in front of Aden.

"Do you know what this is?" Master Shifu questioned, gesturing towards the instrument.

Aden took a quick glance around the room, noticing all eyes were on him. He couldn't help but wonder if this was some sort of joke. When he got not indication from the others in the room that this was a trick question, he rested his eyes back on Shifu and gave his answer.

"Umm… A guitar?" He said with an almost questioning tone.

Master Shifu's eyes widened at his response.

"This is crazy," Shifu responded, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You actually recognize what this is? Can you play it?" Shifu eagerly requested, motioning for Aden to take the guitar.

Aden complied and grabbed the instrument from Shifu without saying another word. Before playing, he took the time to angle the instrument in various positions to inspect the craftsmanship. It was apparent that whoever made it had never done it before. The wood was too thick, which made it feel much heavier and slightly uncomfortable to hold. It also had a darker brown color than a typical guitar. There was a slight bend in the neck but nothing drastic enough to inhibit the instrument's playability. The tuning knobs were surprisingly well placed and after giving them a quick turn, he realized they worked fairly well too. He gently ran a few fingers down the strings and found they were much thinner than normal. That probably was the case because guitars don't exist in this world, and it was much easier to use strings from from an instrument that already existed rather than manufacture entirely new ones.

Nobody in the room made a peep as he inspected the guitar. At first, they were hesitant to believe he could actually play, as it looked like he was stalling for time. However, watching the way he intently analyzed each component of it marginally eased their skepticism.

Once he finished looking it over, he rotated the guitar until he held it in a relatively comfortable playing position. It felt a bit awkward in his hands, but he felt confident in his ability to play. He moved his hands into position and let the back of his fingers graze across all 6 strings, only to have a cacophonous noise resonate throughout the hall. Everyone in the room winced at the sound except Tigress, who's suspicion intensified.

"H-hold on," Aden spoke nervously, as he quickly muted the strings to stop the ugly chord.

He took a few moments to adjust the tuning knobs and pluck various strings until he recognized a standard guitar tuning. It wasn't perfect by any means, but it was enough to get by. He looked up and found everybody staring at him with somewhat dubious looks, although Tigress still held a very stern and mistrustful gaze.

Aden uncomfortably cleared his throat. "Alright… Here I go."

Aden moved his hands into position and let his fingers brush against the strings once more. This time, a welcoming chord reverberated across the room. He briefly glanced around again and noticed some of the dubious looks from before had transformed into expectant ones. He looked back down at the guitar, repositioned his hand on the fretboard, and strummed once more, letting another pleasant chord ring. Then, another. Then, another. He soon found his strumming hand playing more complex rhythms while his other hand glided up and down the neck. He closed his eyes, as his heart took over playing.

He felt alive. He felt free. It didn't matter what world he lived on. Music exists beyond what one can see. Music drives the passion that defines his life. Music resonates with the heart, and the heart desires one thing: love.

Aden strummed one final, powerful chord, as a shockwave of golden light shot out in front of him, passing through everyone and everything in the room. He stood there for a moment- with his eyes still closed and slightly labored breath-cherishing the resonance of the last chord, as it slowly faded out of existence. Silence overtook the Hall of Warriors, as nobody moved a muscle.

"WAH-HA-HA-HO!" Po howled, causing Aden to shoot his eyes open. "That was the most amazeballs thing I've ever seen!"

Aden's eyes drifted around the room to see a variety wide eyes, mouths agape, and astonished postures from everyone. Even Tigress's expression assumed a more disbelieving one rather than her typical scowl.

"You were all like ba-na-na-na-da-na-na-na! And did you see the golden light explosion at the end?!" Po's mouth ran wild with excitement as he exaggerated Aden's strumming on an air guitar.

"It's true..." Shifu muttered incredulously.

"What?" Aden raised his brow as he turned his head towards him.

Shifu didn't answer. Instead, he turned, walked towards a long table at the back of the room, picked up a scroll, and studiously read it over. Shortly after finishing the scroll, he walked back, and held it up to Aden without saying word.

Aden grasped the scroll while eyeing Master Shifu with a questioning gaze. He unraveled the yellowed paper and meticulously eyed its contents. It was a children's story about a creature who showed up in a world vastly unfamiliar to it. The creature was scared and lonely, so it decided to go look for friends. It walked through the forest until it came to a clearing with a quaint, little home in the middle of it. It walked up to the door and gave a polite knock. The door opened to reveal a family of a mother, father, and beautiful daughter bunny. Upon seeing the strange creature, they all got scared and slammed the door in its face. Feeling dejected, the creature returned to the forest to be alone. It was then that the creature got an idea. It chopped down a tree and spent days whittling a magical instrument. Upon finishing, the instrument gained a golden aura and sprouted heavenly strings on which he could strum a bewitching tune. The creature took the instrument back to the quaint home, sat down in the grass, and began to play a song. Soon enough, the family of bunnies came out and watched him play. They all became captivated with the beautiful music and decided to befriend the creature. They family was very kind to their newfound friend, even though his appearance was alien to them. Over time, they learned that the magical tune the creature played could do wondrous things. It made their crops grow, it could repair broken furniture, and it even resolved arguments between each other! The creature lived with the family for many happy years, and the creature and daughter fell deeply in love with each other. One day, the creature accidentally broke his magical instrument. He was so scared that his new family wouldn't like him anymore without it, so he ran away. He was all alone again in the forest with no one to call family. All of a sudden, he heard a voice calling out him. It was his lover frantically looking for him. She found him sitting alone in the forest and told him how worried she was when he never came home. He told her about the broken instrument and feared her reaction, but she didn't care about the guitar. She only wanted him. They shared a loving kiss, walked back towards their home, and lived happily ever after.

He finished reading and took the time to look over the scroll. Along the edges were black and white drawings portraying what was occurring in the story adjacent to the text it was referring to. Oddly enough, the creature depicted in ink bore a resemblance to a human. It was bipedal, had toes and fingers, and had an overall similar figure. Even the head was drawn as a black oval with 2 ear-like structures on the side of it. What truly blew his mind though was the instrument. There was no doubt in his mind that it was a guitar. It was drawn multiple times throughout the story being held at many different angles. On top of all that, at the very bottom of the scroll was a highly detailed and ornate depiction of the instrument, which was probably used as a guide to build the instrument for him.

Aden blinked a few times with a blank expression and eventually gave a perplexed look at Shifu. "I don't understand... This is a children's fable. The fact that I share some resemblance with the creature is just some sort a weird coincidence."

"And the guitar?" Shifu asked with an almost smug tone.

"That's just an accident."

Master Shifu's smile grew wide. "There are no-"

"ACCIDENTS!" Po boisterously interrupted. "Woo! The Jade Palace is getting a new warrior!"

* * *

**Plz fav, follow, and comment. 1 comment = 1 huggle **

**I'm pre****tty disappointed that nobody has taken me up on my offer to bear their children. **

**\- Carter**


	5. Chapter 5

"Again!"

Aden lurched forward from his readied position just in front of the Jade Palace entrance and threw a wide variety of punches and kicks at Monkey. Unfortunately for him, Monkey blocked each strike with ease, all while balancing on his tail. In a last-ditch effort, Aden leaped towards Monkey and outstretched his arm in hopes of making contact with his side, but Monkey quickly saw through his plan. Within an instant, Monkey grabbed his wrist and twisted it. Aden winced as his body was forcefully turned around. One swift quick from his opponent's leg to the small of his back was all it took to painfully send Aden staggering forward until he finally collapsed onto his hands and knees.

"Always maintain control of your body when you strike," Master Shifu instructed. "Lunging wildly at your opponent is an incredibly risky move that could make the difference between life and death."

Aden heaved as sweat dripped from his brow. His body ached from the nearly incessant training.

"I thought I was supposed to make crops grow with a magic guitar..." He wheezed.

"You're familiar with metaphors, are you not?" Master Shifu returned.

Aden rolled his eyes, begrudgingly worked his way back to his feet, faced Monkey, and resumed a fighting stance.

"Again!" Master Shifu repeated.

His form was still sloppy, but there had been noticeable improvement over the past few weeks. Training began almost immediately after his musical display in the Hall or Warriors, and Aden quickly learned how little he actually knew about fighting. Due to his lack of experience, Master Shifu focused nearly all of his energy on getting Aden up to speed. It eventually developed into a team effort, as the Furious 5 and Dragon Warrior allocated a decent portion of their training time to guide and advance his technique.

Channeling his ability had also proven to be an immense challenge and an incredibly perplexing concept for Aden. It seemed to almost come at random. One minute he'd be getting his butt kicked relentlessly, and the next he'd have his opponent subdued without batting an eye. Identifying the pattern was a difficult task, however Master Shifu convinced him that training would lead him to enlightenment for his problem.

Besides training, the dynamic between Aden and the Jade Palace residents changed almost instantaneously after he proved his musical ability. To be fair, everyone had already been treating him kindly with the exception of Tigress. But now, their minds were saturated with curiosity and wonder. Aden barely got any alone time after that, as every student warrior nearly drowned him with questions. Everyone except Tigress, that is. They asked him about everything under the sun, including: friends, family, hobbies, customs, holidays, and even cuisine. At first, everyone was thrown for quite the loop after he explained the human diet, but he assured them that mammals on his world didn't have the same level of consciousness as them and that killing mammals here would easily be considered murder to humans. It took a minute for that information to sink for all of them, but the honesty and compassion he exuded helped mitigate their concern relatively quickly.

The one thing, though, that they were all absolutely fascinated with was his music. China undoubtedly had a rich culture and history where music played a critical role, but none of the warriors had ever heard anything like what Aden played. Virtually everyday after dinner the team of Kung Fu Master's would request a private show from him, and Aden would happily oblige. It's not everyday you had a group of fans begging for an encore. They would all gather around in his room and sit longingly while he played timeless classics from his world on his newly acquired acoustic guitar.

It seemed as though life had finally dealt him a good hand to play with, as the cordial nature of everyone had begun to grow further into a familial one. However, there was still that one person that left him puzzled after every interaction. Tigress no longer treated him with hostility, but she held a sullen attitude every time he got near her. She never asked him any questions and would just sit quietly in the back of every performance of his, leaving almost immediately after he finished playing. Aden felt bad that they weren't speaking to each other, but he wasn't sure of how to broach the situation and felt it would be best to let it be.

The current sparring session between Monkey and Aden had lasted for a couple minutes now, and it was evident that Aden was exhausted. Master Shifu had established that his last training session for the day would not end until he could land a single hit on his opponent. This wouldn't have been much of a problem for him if he hadn't been training for the past 10 hours. His punches and blocks were growing weaker, as his tired breaths grew stronger. His eyes were losing focus, and his mind finally began to drift from the fight.

Then, just like that, he snapped. His eyes shot open, and his body regained enough energy to dodge a punch, maneuver to the back of Monkey while tripping him in the process, and apply enough force just below the back of his neck to send Monkey face first into the ground.

"Excellent work, Aden." Master Shifu commended. "I'm completely baffled by your your ability to recover and overcome your opponent. You have officially completed your training for the day."

Aden removed his hand from Monkey's back and bowed. "Thank you, Master."

As soon as Master Shifu turned around to walk towards the Hall of Warriors, Aden lost nearly all feeling in his muscles and collapsed on the ground next to a now sitting Monkey.

"You're getting better," Monkey smiled.

"Thank… You…" Aden took deep breaths in between each word.

Monkey chortled and stood up. "Come on, let's get something to eat."

Aden stood up and tiredly walked with Monkey to the kitchen. They entered the room to find the remaining student warriors enjoying a cup of jasmine tea and lightly chatting.

"Woah, did Master Shifu make you take a shower as training?" Mantis laughed at Aden's sweat ridden state.

"Hardy har har," Aden mocked in return, as he got himself a bowl of noodle soup and took a seat at the table.

"Master Shifu sees something in you," Viper spoke. "He wouldn't be pushing you this hard if he didn't."

"Yeah, I just wish he'd assign naptime as part of my training."

"Well, we're all off tomorrow," Po chuckled. "So, let's just kick back and relax."

"That reminds me," Crane added. "Isn't the fall festival tomorrow?"

Po's eyes lit up. "That's right! We should all totally go!"

"That could be fun." Viper agreed.

"That does sound pretty fun," Aden commented. "You should all definitely go and enjoy yourselves."

Po raised an eyebrow at Aden. "You wouldn't want to come with us?"

"Sure I do! I'm just not sure how the village will react to seeing me, though."

"Well, you can't stay locked up here forever," Mantis countered. "You've been here for well over a month now, and you still haven't left the Jade Palace yet."

"Besides, what's the point of training to become a super rad Kung Fu Master if you can't even protect the valley?" Po reinforced.

Aden briefly thought it over. "I can't argue with that logic. But, do you really think a festival that the entire valley attends is a great place to introduce a foreign being like myself?"

"He has a point," Crane joined in. "If we aren't careful, he could incite a frenzy that'd be near impossible to control."

They pondered the situation for a moment before Monkey grew an animated look and snapped his hairy fingers.

"I got it! Let's make masks!" He proposed.

"Masks?" Aden questioned.

"Oh, yeah! I completely forgot about that!" Po shared Monkey's enthusiasm. "Some people like to wear costumes to the fall festival. Kinda like that Halloween holiday you told us about."

"You know, that's not a bad idea..." Mantis acknowledged.

"It's just crazy enough that it might actually work," Crane added. "Plus, It'd be great for you to see the village in action before Master Shifu announces you as a new protector of the valley."

"Then, it is decided!" Po announced and pointed a chubby finger at Aden. "You are coming to the festival to party with the Jade Palace whether you like it or not!"

Aden returned a hearty laugh. "Alright, alright, alright, you've convinced me. Let's make ourselves some masks."

"Woo!" Po exclaimed, shooting both arms up in the air in a double fist pump.

"I'm glad we figured that out," Viper spoke up. "I think that's enough excitement for me in one day. I'm going to be in my room if anybody needs me."

"I'll walk with you," Crane said as he waltzed out the of the room with her.

"You guys want to play a game of Mahjong?" Monkey addressed Aden, Mantis, and Po.

"Yeah, I'm down," Po answered.

"Same," Mantis joined in.

"Aden?" Monkey asked again.

"Nah, I'm probably just going to eat, wash up, and kick back for the night. I'm beat." He replied.

Monkey gave Aden a quick thumbs up, then motioned for the others to follow him. "You boys ready to lose?"

"Oh we'll see about that, buddy," Po contended, as he grabbed a few almond cookies from a jar and marched out of the room at the back of the group.

Aden couldn't help but chuckle. Not long ago he was completely devastated by the loss of his home. But now, he feels grateful for the new home he's gained. Almost like the universe has granted him a newfound sense of human companionship.

His inner musings were cut short by a light cough at the other end of the table. Aden looked up to see Tigress staring at him with tired eyes. It wasn't until that moment that he realized she had been in the room the entire time. Not one word had escaped her lips during the entire conversation with the other warriors. He held her gaze for a few moments before looking away and scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"Oh, hey Tigress," he began.

"Aden," She simply returned.

There was a brief moment of silence between them before Aden spoke again. "Um… How's it hanging?"

"I'm sorry."

Aden's eyes drifted back to Tigress' at her unexpected apology. Her gaze hadn't faltered since he looked away from her, but now he could clearly see the pain in her vibrant, orange pools.

"I've been a complete disgrace as a warrior," she continued.

Aden's brow raised slightly.

"You have been nothing but kind to the Jade Palace, yet I have only disrespected you. It was unfair of me to assume your intentions were nefarious considering there was little evidence to prove it. You were-and are-still acclimating to a new world, and I should've been more sympathetic to your predicament. I am sorry."

Tigress lowered her head despondently and bowed in an apologetic manner. Aden sat quietly absorbing every last word of her apology before the corner's of his mouth raised into a tiny smirk.

"That's why you haven't been talking to me?" He questioned, a chuckle escaping his lips.

Tigress raised her head and displayed the same dejected look before with a hint of curiosity.

"Well, if you're looking for forgiveness, then your apology is more than accepted," He gave with a warm smile.

Tigress grew an even more confused expression upon hearing this. "You forgive me already? But, I treated you terribly! The pain I cau-"

Aden held up a finger to silence her. "You did nothing wrong. It's very obvious you care a lot about your allies and were just trying to protect them. Sure, you were a _little _rough on me, but a strange dude falling from the sky would make anybody uneasy. I don't blame you for your lack of trust. I just wish you'd have told me sooner, so we could start building a healthier rapport."

"I… I don't know what to say," she stuttered. "I didn't expect to be forgiven so easily."

"Well, I'm a pretty easy going guy," Aden returned, giving her a friendly wink.

Tigress didn't know how to respond and decided to sit for a few moments quietly reflecting. She eventually dawned a unique expression that held a mix of contentedness and frustration.

"Thank you," She began. "But, it doesn't feel right to have my actions pardoned without reparation."

Aden rolled his eyes. "Well, I don't take life debts, so how about you pay me in weekly installments of hang out sessions?"

Tigress' overall expression still didn't change, but Aden noticed the crease of her mouth waver slightly, as if she was trying to hold back a smile.

"I don't think that will appease me completely," She replied. "but it's a start."

Aden stretched his arm out across the table with a smile plastered to his face. "Friends?"

Tigress finally lost the battle with her emotions and let a small smile break through her stolid expression, as she grasped his open hand and gave it a firm shake. "Friends."

Tigress stood up from her seat and bowed slightly. "Thank you again, Aden."

"No problamo. Have a good one."

With that, Tigress ambled out of the room leaving Aden alone to his thoughts. It was as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He was finally on the road to becoming a Kung Fu Master and had the full support of everyone at the Jade Palace.

Aden finished his bowl of soup and stood up, cringing at the foul scent of his sweat soaked clothing. Now all he needed was a bath.

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6

"Yo, Po, can you pass me the blue?"

Po's furry paw gently cupped the paint dish in front of him and moved it to the free spot next to Aden. It wobbled slightly as he set it down, but no paint spilt from its edges.

"Appreciate it, man," Aden thanked Po, giving him a bright smile.

"No problem," Po returned his smile. "Your mask looks awesome, by the way!"

Aden looked over his vibrantly colored mask that he was currently adding various blue streaks to. His mask resembled a Lion's face that had been tie dyed, the mismatched colors and patterns spiraling out from the nose. Aden wasn't a visual artist by any means, but he greatly enjoyed the messiness of painting.

"Thanks, dude. How's everyone else's coming along?"

"Just adding the finishing touches!" Viper announced, her voice muffled by the paintbrush hanging from the corner of her mouth.

Aden's eyes roamed around, getting a peek at the array of styles from each student warrior. Interestingly enough, everyone had chosen a mask that resembled a fellow teammate, but they colored them to mimic their own natural color scheme. Tigress had a panda mask with lines of orange and black running down its cheeks, while Mantis had a tiny monkey mask with different shades of green swirling all over the the wooden face.

The mask Aden found the most unique was Crane's, though. He had a snake mask with a section of the bottom cut out so it could rest atop his beak, and instead of using his own black and white color scheme, he chose to paint it vibrantly like Aden. However, instead of a simple spiral of colors, Crane detailed his mask to an immense degree. Beautiful flowers of all colors rested upon the cheeks, a starry night sky on the forehead, and the sacred peach tree grew from its nose.

"Holy cow, Crane," Aden gawked at the warrior's mask to his left. "I had no idea you were an artist."

Crane, however, didn't respond. Aden glanced up to see Crane's face in a trance like state, his eyes fixated ahead of him.

Aden gave him a small nudge. "Hellooo... Earth to Crane?"

"Wha- huh?" Crane's startled voice sounded as he was broke from his stupor.

"Crane's an amazing artist," Viper joined in from across the table. "You should see some of his calligraphy!"

"Oh, um, yeah," Crane added, slowly coming back to his senses. "I'm alright, I guess."

"Don't be so modest!" Viper countered. "I love your work."

Crane's cheeks gained a slight rosy appearance. "Thanks. I can show you some of my projects sometime if you want, Aden?"

"Absolutely, dude," Aden smiled.

The team chatted casually while they finished decorating their masks. Once everyone was done, Aden offered to stay behind and clean up while the others got ready for the festival. They all tried to help at first, but Aden was having none of it. It was the least he could do for coming up with such a brilliant idea for him to see the valley.

Aden had been washing the paint dishes for only a few minutes when he heard another presence enter the room, and he had a pretty good idea as to who it was.

"I thought I told you to go get ready for the festival," Aden spoke without turning around. "I don't need any help."

"I'm already prepared," Tigress replied. "Besides, there isn't much you can do to stop me."

"Oh yeah?" Aden turned around to face her. "Try me."

Tigress said nothing and simply approached him in a calm yet methodical manner. Aden's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as she neared him. She stopped when her face was less than a foot away from his, and a smug grin creeped it's way onto her face.

"Are you still not going to let me help?"

"No?..." Aden squeaked.

The next thing Aden knew, his head was pinned against the counter with his arm held behind him like a chicken wing.

"Ok… You win..." Aden spoke while his face was still smooshed against the counter's surface. "The pain is very persuasive."

Tigress gave a half-suppressed laugh and let go. She gave him a warm smile as she picked up a dirty paint dish and dunked it into the bucket of soapy water.

"You're starting to sound like Po." Tigress said, scrubbing the dish clean.

"Hmmm?" Aden gave her a curious glance.

"The way you speak. It's very similar to Po, only... _stranger_."

"I thought you were going to stop being mean to me," Aden winked at her.

"Just making observations," she chuckled lightly.

"I guess I'm just getting more comfortable with everyone, so my speech is starting to revert back to its natural state. It's funny you say that, though. Even on my home world, my friends would give me shit all the time for using words like 'radical'."

"Radical?"

"It means like 'cool' or 'awesome'."

"I see. Well, it's very _radical _of you to teach me about your home world," Tigress gave a tiny smile that held an adorable mix of pride and goofiness.

Aden gave a short yet hearty laugh. "We'll work on that. Now, let's hurry up, so we can start making our way down to the village."

Tigress nodded and finished drying the remaining dishes, while Aden wiped the few stray paint splotches that landed on the table. They put everything away and walked back to the student barracks where Tigress disappeared into her room. Aden slid the door open to his own room, picked up the oversized, black cloak resting on his bed, and draped it over his body. Po had brought it to him last night and suggested he wear it to the festival, as his somewhat foreign shape and hairless body might alert somebody that he isn't from their world.

He made his way to the front of the Jade Palace to find his comrades prepared for the festival, their resting on top of their heads.

Po noticed Aden approaching from the back and gestured for everybody to follow him. "Alright, Aden's here! Let's go party!"

The group ambled down the grandiose stairway and made idle conversation with each other, the sun gently setting behind the rolling hills in the distance tanning everybody in a magnificent, orange glow. Aden walked quietly from back of the pack simply appreciating the beautiful sight in front of him and the pleasant sounds of his friends chatting. To his left, Crane stepped at a pace that matched Aden's, his eyes fixated in front of him. For an artist, Aden assumed the gorgeous scenery was providing Crane with plenty of inspiration.

"I can't believe you guys get to appreciate this view everyday," Aden addressed Crane. "I haven't even seen the valley yet, and I'm already in love with it."

But just like earlier today, Crane didn't respond. Aden looked Crane over and noticed that his eyes were still locked ahead of him.

"Yo, Crane," Aden said, a little louder this time. "You alright, man? You've been kind of spacey today."

Crane sprung from his trance and looked at Aden. "Whu-? Oh, sorry about that."

"Something on your mind?"

"I guess you could say that… I don't really want to talk about it right now, though. Sorry, again."

"Hey, no worries man," Aden gave Crane a light pat on the back. "But, I'm here if you need me."

Crane returned a kind and appreciative smile before facing forward again.

As they neared the bottom, the village came into full view for Aden. What immediately caught him off guard were the variety of mammals he saw. Sure, he had grown used to his furry friends of the Jade Palace, but he wasn't at all prepared for an endless sea of bipedal bunnies, pigs, big cats, primates, antelope, bison and much more. It was all very overwhelming for Aden, which Po took notice of when he looked over his shoulder and saw him hurriedly put his mask over a flushed face.

Po moved to the back of the group and patted Aden's back. "Don't worry, we got your back, man," Po assured him. "Just try to relax and enjoy the festival."

Aden thanked Po quietly and exhaled slowly to calm himself, as the group approached the last step. The rest of the group pulled their masks down to cover their faces when they planted their feet at ground level. Aden's breathing was still labored as he walked through the village, but the comfort of hiding behind a mask and being with friends helped him maintain composure.

Aden had never been to China on his home world, but the architecture of the homes and businesses were very similar to what he had imagined. The valley's color pallette thrived on white, red, brown, and a soft yellow, which he felt complimented the buildings' designs. On top of all the permanent buildings, the streets were lined with tents, game stalls, and food carts, which Aden understood were just here for the festival. Chinese lanterns hovered above them, connecting every building to each other, and streamers of a multitude of different colors draped over the sides of every wall in sight.

"Funny," Aden said to no one in particular. "This is very similar to the festivals back home."

"Really?" Viper questioned.

"Yeah, absurdly similar. The obviously rigged game stalls, the brightly colored decorations, the crazy costumes, and most importantly, the delicious smell of fried food."

"Ooo, that sounds _so _good," Po butted in. "Let's go get some right now!"

The gang chuckled in unison, as the followed a nearly bouncing Po over to the nearest food stall that wafted the glorious smell of deep fried vegetables through the holes in their masks. Tigress, Viper, and Crane looked over the options but eventually decided to order from another food cart that had a variety of healthier options. Once each person had their food in hand, they began their trek down the main festival path, admiring all of the options for games. Po tried to play every game that had action figures of the furious five and himself as prizes, which a few of his fellow warriors joined him for. However, Aden and Tigress didn't stop to join him and continued down the road, Aden lifting his mask slightly to take small bites out of his deep fried eggplant as they walked. Before long, a familiar game stall caught his eye.

"Is that the milk bottle game?!" Aden questioned aloud.

"The what?" Tigress questioned.

"Follow me," he told her, grabbing her forearm and dragging her towards his nostalgic carnival game. "I'll show you."

They approached the stall and greeted the elderly pig running the game who had a comically stereotypical carnival voice.

"Step right up, mystery players!" The pig nasally announced. "You get 3 chances to knock over all 6 cans. You do that, you win any one of the fabulous prizes behind me! Only 1 coin to play and all the time in the world to play it. What do you say?"

"This is the game?" Tigress asked Aden.

"Yeah!" Aden replied, excitedly. "I mean, the metal cans were replaced with milk bottles, and we used baseballs to try and knock them down, but it's basically the same thing."

"It seems so… juvenile," she responded in a monotone voice.

"Is that so?" Aden smirked under his mask. "How about you win me a prize then?"

Aden reached into his cloak pocket and pulled out a single, golden coin. He dropped it onto the stall counter, picked up one of the red rubber balls, and handed it to Tigress.

Tigress hesitated for a second before grabbing the ball from his hand. "If winning you a prize will help mend the damage I've done and better our relationship as teammates, then I'll do it."

She may have said that line with conviction, but Aden knew better. Tigress really wanted to play, and he saw it in the way she focused all her energy on the metal cans in front of her. Her arm reeled back for a moment before she let the ball fly well over the top can in the stack.

"Not so easy, huh?" Aden teased.

Tigress let out a low growl and picked up another ball. She hesitated for just a moment longer than last time before launching the ball so far to the right of the stack that it nearly hit the pig standing off to the side.

Aden was about to make another snarky comment, when he saw Tigress's first clench and foot stomp the ground aggressively. He didn't need to see her face to know she was growing incredibly frustrated, and as much fun as it was to see her throw awful shots, he didn't like to see her suffer over something so menial.

"Hey," he addressed her calmly, gently holding her wrist before she could throw her final shot. "The games are rigged, remember? Each ball is weighted differently, so it's really difficult to aim. Just take a deep breath and don't worry about missing."

Tigress remained still for a few moments before an audible exhale was heard through her mask. She gripped the third and final ball, wound her arm up, and tossed it right down the middle. The red rubber ball collided with the center can and toppled the structure entirely, the _tink _of metal hitting the ground reverberating through the air.

"Congratulations!" The pig exclaimed. "You're a winner! Go ahead and pick a prize!"

Tigress faced Aden and gestured with her arm for him to pick something, and although he couldn't see her face, he knew she was beaming under that mask. Aden browsed the plush toys for a moment before settling on the perfect one.

"I'll take that Tigress doll, please."

The pig handed Aden the stuffed toy, which he then waved around in front of Tigress's face.

"Oh wow," Aden spoke again, bringing the doll close to his ear. "This Tigress is _way _nicer than the real thing."

A faint chuckle came from Tigress as they both began walking towards a large, white tent where music was currently playing. Upon entering, they found their comrades chatting with their masks resting upon the table they were sitting at. As they approached the group, Po caught sight of them and pointed, which resulted in the remainder of the group turning their heads in their direction.

"Hey guys!" Po announced. "Ooo, you got a Tigress too? I got everybody!"

Po opened a bag of stuffed animals to showcase his winnings, which Aden chuckled at.

"Very impressive, Po," he responded. "Actually, Tigress won this for me."

Everyone gave a slightly bemused expression upon hearing that, while Tigress remained silent.

"Tigress played a festival game?" Monkey questioned. "That's a first…"

"Well, it definitely required a bit of convincing," Aden laughed, giving Tigress a friendly bump. "Woah, woah, woah. Wait a minute… Is that beer?"

Aden spotted the amber liquid sloshing in glasses in front of Po, Mantis, and Monkey, and he couldn't help but comment on it. He wasn't sure if he'd see another beer ever again after coming to this world, however, it does make sense that it exists considering beer is a pretty ancient drink.

"Abso- *hic* -lutely is," Mantis slurred.

"Mantis!" Viper scolded. "I told you to take it easy. Do you keep forgetting that you barely weigh anything?"

"Oh, shhhh! I'm per- *hic* -fectly capable of holding my liquor!"

"I am definitely going to need a pint of that," Aden interjected. "Where can I get some?"

"There's a bar over there," Po answered, pointing behind him. "They have a few solid options."

"Awesome. Tigress, can I grab you a glass?"

"A true warrior has no need for alcohol," she replied, receiving an eye-roll from almost everyone at the table including Aden.

"This isn't about being a _true warrior_," Aden countered. "It's about having some fun."

"No," Tigress flatly said, removing her mask and setting it on the table. "Thank you, Aden."

"Boo… I didn't know you were against fun!" Aden mocked, giving her a thumbs down, as he ambled over to the bar.

He looked over the beer selection before choosing a lighter beer that the bartender had suggested. He licked his lips in anticipation of tasting the drink he had missed so dearly.

Turning back towards the group he noticed Po, Mantis, Monkey, and Viper had moved to the dance floor, while Crane stayed back at the table and Tigress was nowhere to be found. He watched the group wobble back and forth to the music with Viper being the only one that seemed to maintain rhythm. He let out a short chuckle, as he ventured back to the table

"It's a good thing Po doesn't have to fight crime with his dance moves," Aden laughed, as he took a seat next to Crane. "We'd all be in big trouble if that was the case."

And for a third time today, Crane didn't respond.

Aden looked over to see the same entranced look as before. He was about to give him a nudge when he decided to take another approach to the situation. He followed Crane's gaze until it landed on the group of dancing Jade Palace residents. Aden scratched the back of his head in confusion. He hadn't seen somebody this spaced out since his buddy was introduced to his now-wife. Suddenly, something clicked in his head. Maybe it wasn't 'something' that was on Crane's mind, it was '_someone._' He looked back at the group and watched as his slithery companion moved gracefully with the music.

"Viper?" Aden questioned aloud.

Crane's head swiveled to face Aden almost instantaneously. "What about her?"

Bingo.

"Oh boy," Aden chuckled. "I wouldn't have guessed you had a thing for snakes."

A deep blush flowered on Crane's cheeks. "W-what are you talking about?"

"You can't hide it from me, buddy."

"Ok, ok…" Crane looked over his shoulders to make sure nobody was listening in, his flustered demeanor growing by the second. "Just don't tell anybody."

"Of course, I wouldn't tell a soul. But, why would I need to when you're going to do it?"

"What do you mean?" Crane gave him a quizzical glance.

"I mean that you're going to tell her how you feel."

Crane's eyes grew wide. "Oh, no. No, no, no, no, and especially no. We're too good of friends. Telling her how I feel will only ruin what we already have."

"How do you know?"

"Because… Well…" Crane stuttered. "Ok, so I don't for certain, but why take the risk? Things are fine the way they are! What if things get awkward between us? That's the last thing I'd want! Besides, what would Master Shifu think? Is it even allowed between kung fu masters? Would it interfere with our ability to protect the valley? What if she wants kids? What am I supposed to do then? What if she's-"

"How long?" Aden interrupted Crane's rambling.

"How long what?"

"How long have you felt this way about her?"

Crane lowered his head and let out an exasperated sigh before speaking. "Years…"

"Look," Aden rested a hand on Crane's back. "I'm no dating expert. I mean, come on, look at me."

Aden gestured to himself in a goofy fashion in an attempt to bring Crane's spirits up, which seemed to work as a small chuckle escaped his beak.

"But…" Aden continued. "I do know a thing or two about taking risks. Yes, you could probably go through your whole life without ever telling her your true feelings, and you'd be fine. But I can guarantee you that just being '_fine_' is not the way you want to live. Every risk has a consequence. But every risk you don't take also has a consequence. You got to balance those out, bud."

Crane sat quietly for a moment, his head still aimed at the floor.

Aden gave him a light nudge. "Now, I'm also not saying you should confess your undying love to her... _But, _I'm pretty sure she'd appreciate a dance."

Crane's beak slowly raised and pointed towards the dance floor, his eyes trapped once more. A smile gradually worked its way onto his face before his head turned towards Aden.

"Thanks," Crane answered simply.

Aden returned a thumbs up and watched as he got up from his chair and hurriedly moved to join his other friends with a newly found sense hope and courage.

Suddenly, the chair next to Aden jostled slightly, letting him know that somebody was about to sit down. He looked over to find a younger looking lioness wearing a beautiful purple and white dress.

"Well, hello there," the lioness said. "I absolutely adore your mask."

"Thanks," Aden cheerfully replied. "Would you be impressed if I told you I painted it myself?"

She giggled in return. "I just might be. I'm Liu, by the way."

"Aden."

"Now, _that's_ an interesting name, but I guess any mammal that spends their time with the warriors of the Jade Palace has to be interesting by nature. Why don't you take that mask off like the rest of your friends, so I can get a better look at you." Her eyes quickly becoming half lidded.

A nervous feeling began to stir in Aden's stomach. "Sorry, but I'm _so_ gosh darn interesting that I have to keep my identity a secret."

Liu giggled more at his response. "Oh, come now. Don't be so shy."

"No, I really can't take it off." Aden tersely replied, the playfulness in his tone gone.

"Please?" She flirtatiously begged. "Here, let me help you."

Liu's arms carefully reached out and grasped the sides of his mask. In a last ditch effort to prevent her from getting a good hold on it, Aden leaned back in his chair. Unfortunately, Aden's knee jerk reaction did not play in his favor, as the tension in the ribbon holding the mask to his face began to grow with every inch he leaned. A sudden _snap _was heard as Aden fell backwards onto the hard ground, his mask suspended in between the fingers of a certain lioness. A horrified look dawned on her face, as the mask slipped from her paws and thudded in the dirt.

* * *

**Here's a longer chapter for you cuties. Don't forget to favorite, follow, and comment or else I might steal your first born child!**

**Also, have y'all ever played the game Ironsight? It's an F2P Call of Duty clone that's hella dank. **

**\- Finn Mertens**


	7. Chapter 7

"W-what…" Liu stuttered, her face frozen in fear.

"Wait!" Aden exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. "I can explain."

"No!" She shouted, backing away. "Stay away from me!"

Liu's sudden scream alerted other patrons, as a few heads had now turned to watch the scene unfold. Aden darted his eyes rapidly around the room at the frightened faces glaring at him, fear welling in his throat.

"Hey!" The booming voice of the bartender rang "What's all the commotion here?"

Aden locked eyes with the wolf who had served him a beer less than 15 minutes ago. Confused glances were exchanged before a defensive and intimidating look formed on the bartender's face.

"What the fuck?" He seethed.

"Please," Aden begged. "Just give me a chance to explain!"

By now a circle had begun to form around Aden, derisive whispers bombarding him from every angle.

"What's wrong with its face?" A voice murmured. "It's so weird looking."

"Mommy, why does it only have hair on top of its head? Does it shave its face?"

"What's it hiding its identity for? There's no way anybody trying to make a good impression would wear a mask like that."

"You think it's here to eat us?!"

Aden's breathing grew labored as the whispers grew louder and more accusatory. He approached the bartender with his fingers interlaced, a pleading look plastered on his face. Sadly, Aden didn't make it 3 steps before the wolf unsheathed a knife and pointed it towards him.

"Back the fuck up!" the grey wolf demanded. "I don't know what the hell you are, but I'm not about to let you hurt anybody."

"I'm not going to hurt anyone!" Aden shouted back.

"And, I'm not going to take any chances," the bartender held the knife steady.

A voice suddenly burst from the crowd, "Cut him up, Huan!"

All it took was that one voice for Aden to lose all hope of convincing the valley that he wasn't a threat. The mob began to rave with disparaging claims, as the circle tightened around him. Every exit of his was blocked by the irate mammals. Aden's head began to grow dizzy with fear, while looked on at the wave of scowling faces.

Suddenly, an object whizzed past him, his body instinctively maneuvering out of the way. He swiveled his head towards the object and watched a quarter sized rock skip across the dirt. His eyes returned to the crowd as others began to scour the ground for some ammo.

Just then, a sharp pain rippled through his body as a rock connected with his lower back. He yelped in pain and used his hand to cover where the stone made contact. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of the onslaught that was about to come. Sharp pains began to emanate from his left peck. Then, his right thigh. Then, his left shoulder.

"Please!" Aden wailed, wrapping his arms around his head and crouching down until his knees met his chest.

_THUNK_

Aden's body toppled to the ground, the side of his head throbbing immensely. An object had struck him directly on his left ear, which happened to be one of the only uncovered parts in his crouched position. His hand became wet to the touch as he covered up the source of pain. He felt the stream of blood flow down his cheek before dripping onto the dirt. He glanced over to see a stone the size of a baseball splattered with the crimson liquid.

All of a sudden, a deafening roar blasted through the tented area. A silence overcame the room so thick you could almost hear the wind speak. The sound of rocks thumping against the ground followed, as the entire crowd loosened their grip at the same time. Aden slowly lifted his head to see Tigress posing protectively in front of him.

Aden blinked absentmindedly for a few moments before fear, anger, confusion, and loneliness rushed into his head, as if it were the day he showed up on this strange world. He looked around briefly at the judgemental faces studying him like an animal at the zoo. Tears began to well up in his eyes, as he dashed towards one edge of the crowd, the villagers parting like the red sea to let the strange creature pass. Aden ran and ran. Past the lights to the festival and far from the sounds of camaraderie. He didn't stop running until the only thing he heard was the sound of crickets chirping their nightly song. He dropped to his knees and began to cry into his hands.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!" He pounded his fists into the ground to punctuate each word.

His body crumpled to the ground, as his violent sobs dwindled into whimpering. He held himself in the fetal position and lay there listening to the sounds in the night air before the rustling of grass and footsteps approached.

"Aden," Tigress made herself known.

"What…" He responded coldly, sitting up and wiping his dripping nose with his sleeve.

"Why did you run?"

"Why did I…" Aden paused, an incredulous look plastered on his face. "Are you serious right now?"

"Aden, It-"

"Why did I run?!" Aden cut her off, angrily. "Are you fucking insane? I'm a freak to them! They didn't listen to a single word I said, and I have dried blood on my face to prove it! Or do you think those were 'love stones' they hurled at me?"

Tigress stayed composed at this outburst, and took a few steps towards Aden without saying a word.

"Leave me the hell alone," Aden rolled over so his back faced her. "I knew the _amazing Tigress _wouldn't understand. You have no fucking clue what it's like to be universally seen as a freak."

Aden's words stung for Tigress, but she didn't let it show. Instead, she sat down next to him quietly.

"Trust can't always be earned with words," She began. "One can be certain in their lack of trust for others. But, it only takes a moment for it all to change."

Aden said nothing.

"You may not believe me, but I understand exactly how you feel… I was an orphan at the Bao Gu Orphanage growing up. Parents would come. Parents would leave. But, nobody wanted me. Not even the other orphans would come near me. Everyone thought I was a monster. And... I felt like one too. It wasn't until Shifu came along that I finally learned to control my aggression. I was able to convince them that they could trust me with my actions. Not my words."

Aden shifted in his spot but remained silent.

"You should give the valley a chance."

"Why should I forgive them so easily?" He grumbled back.

"You did for me."

Aden slowly sat up and stared blankly before releasing a frustrated sigh. "I absolutely hate admitting it… But, you have a point."

Tigress chuckled lightly and stood up, offering her paw to help him up. Aden took it willingly and was quickly pulled to his feet. They gazed at each other with warm smiles before Aden wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Tigress." Aden whispered.

At first, it seemed like Tigress had no idea what was going on, as her arms remained flat against her sides. Then, they gradually moved to his upper back where she gave a couple light pats before gently closing the loop around him. It was the most awkward hug Aden had ever received in his lifetime, and he loved every second of it.

_BOOM!_

Both Aden and Tigress' attention were immediately brought the tremendous explosion off in the distance.

"That came from the village," Tigress said.

Without another word, the 2 warriors bounded back towards the village keeping their eyes on the black smoke billowing into the night sky. The crackle of fire could be heard as they neared the outer rim of the village.

"This way," Tigress motioned for Aden to follow her.

Aden and Tigress slithered through an alley a few buildings away from where the smoke originated from. They peeked their heads around the corner, which gave them a clear view of the terror occuring in the village center. Numerous burning barrels were scattered about, while a group of barrels and wooden planks sitting in the area center roared with flames and spewed smoke into the sky. Jackals dressed in black robes scurried about, breaking doors down and ripping mammals from their homes. The screams of a rabbit family echoed as the children were separated from their parents and placed into different groups of trembling mammals.

"Over there," Aden pointed out. "I see Po and the others."

Tigress followed Aden's finger to a building where a pair of black panda ears peeked over the window sill.

"What are they doing?" Tigress questioned. "A horde of jackal raiders is nothing for us."

"I don't think they're the problem…"

Suddenly, from behind the central fire emerged a massive boar cackling like a deep-toned witch. The animal stood at least a foot taller than Aden and had biceps the size of his torso. The boar moved flamboyantly and overgesticulated everything he said, contrasting heavily with its brick wall stature. What worried Aden and Tigress the most was his belt. It contained a ring of glowing, orange cylinders that neither of them could identify.

"Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!" A boisterous voice rang into the night air. "Thank you all for attending the show! I'm your host, Bang!"

The boar swaggered over to one of the groups of cowering animals, spinning theatrically and striking a pose in front of them.

"Now, I know you're all anxious to see the performance, but I'm going to need a teeny-tiny entrance fee first. Oh, what's that?" Bang leaned down and cupped a hoof to his ear as if somebody had asked a question. "How much does the show of a lifetime cost, you ask? Only one easy payment of all your valuable possessions!"

The towering boar laughed maniacally and gestured for the jackals to begin ransacking homes.

"Don't worry, though," Bang continued, pulling one of the orange objects from his belt. "This show is going to be a hot one."

Aden and Tigress watched as the boar crushed the object in his hoofs and tossed it into an intact barrel. A few seconds of silence passed before the barrel violently exploded. Wooden chunks were sent in all directions while Bang laughed at the display.

"You won't get away with this!" A tiny voice shouted from the group of captured children.

"Who said that?!" The raid leader demanded, rage making an appearance on the once wickedly jovial face.

The crowd shivered silently.

Bang shook his head and tsked calmly. "Brave enough to say it but not brave enough to step forward. Well then, let's pull that courage right out of you."

He strode up to the group of children and cleared his throat. "Let's play a little game shall we? You, what's your favorite number?" The boars hairy finger aimed at a small female bunny.

"U-uh… u-umm…" The young girl stuttered. "F-five?"

"Excellent selection!" Bang replied. "Now, I'm going to count down from 5 and point to one person for each number. If somebody doesn't speak up by the time I get to 1, I'm going to pop their itty bitty head like bubble."

The center erupted in a cacophonous choir of gasps, screams, and crying.

"We have to move now!" Aden shouted to Tigress.

"What's the plan?" She responded.

Aden searched the area for any sort of opening to sneak up on Bang, but the jackals were blocking every access point.

"FIVE!" Bang yelled in a sing-songy voice.

The screams grew louder, as Aden searched for a solution. His eyes eventually fell upon an Sanxian lying on the ground, and an idea began forming in his head.

"FOUR!" Bang moved his fat finger to another child.

"Go save the others," Aden directed Tigress. "I'm about to try something crazy."

"THREE!"

Aden burst from his hiding spot and sprinted to the instrument before Tigress could stop him.

"TWO!" The boar's voice began to lower in pitch.

Aden reached down mid sprint, grabbed the instrument's wooden neck, and took off for the village center.

"ONE..." Bang grew a devilish smirk and reached for a child.

_DRRRRRRING!_

Bang stopped his hands and slowly turned around to find Aden holding the Sanxian with a single vibrating string.

"Well, well, well," Bang laughed. "Look what we have here."

Aden plucked the same string again.

"You're the _freak _everyone's been talking about? I gotta hand it to ya, this raid wouldn't have been nearly as easy if it wasn't for you corralling everyone into the drink tent. I mean, damn; I thought _I _put on a good show, but nothing beats this next level mutant shit!"

Aden, once again, plucked the string.

"Not much for talking, eh? No matter, it makes things easier."

Aden plucked the string twice this time. Unfortunately for him, Bang had begun making his way over to him.

"Now, I know you're trying to be a hero, but here's your problem: _You're _going to die. _Your friends _are going to die. And, a good portion of people in this village are going to die. So, it may seem like you're being valiant, but all you're really doing is increasing the body count."

Aden plucked the string another 2 times.

"On top of all that, you're about to give your life up for a bunch of mammals that pelted you with rocks less than an hour ago!" Bang laughed hysterically. "You have got to be the dumbest alien to ever grace this planet."

Aden plucked the string three times in response. Just as he finished plucking the third note, Bang planted his feet right in front of him. Sweat began to trickle down his brow, as he truly got a sense of how big the boar towering over him really was.

"Now, why don't you stop playing," Bang demanded.

Aden plucked again.

"I said: Stop. Playing."

Aden plucked again.

"Last chance…"

Aden hesitantly plucked again.

Bang laughed heartily. "You've got balls, kid. Too bad you won't be able to use 'em ever again"

Aden tried to pluck again but was met with a hoof smashing against his right cheek sending him straight into the ground. Gasps could be heard as Aden's body slammed into the dirt, the right side of his face already feeling numb. He groaned painfully and writhed against the earth while Bang cackled.

"Wowee! That must 'of hurt, huh?" Bang laughed, the jackals guarding the prisoners snickering alongside him.

"Now, where were we? Ah, yes! Our little game." Bang turned around and took a few steps towards the captive children. "Well, shoot. I completely lost count. Looks like I'll have to start all ov-"

_DRRING!_

The boar turned on his hoofs to find Aden standing weakly in the same spot from before, Sanxian held loosely in his hands.

"Wow," Bang commented with a neutral expression. "I'm _actually _impressed."

Aden plucked the string again.

"I didn't expect you to get up so quickly. Let's fix that, shall we?"

Aden attempt to pluck another string but was hindered by his face making contact with Bang's fist again. He went flying downwards, bouncing across the ground like a ragdoll. Aden's body screamed in agony, as he started to feel blood trickle down his face again. He spit into the dirt, a wad of red and white mixing into the soil.

"You're _still _alive?" The boar incredulously asked.

Aden shakily moved his head so he could see the now broken Sanxian laying a couple feet away from him.

"Don't do it," Bang recommended. "I promise you, you won't get up again."

Aden rolled onto his back and laughed painfully. "Don't… *cough* Need… Too…"

Bang raised an eyebrow in response.

"Dis… Strac… Tion…" Aden gruesomely smiled.

Bang's eyes widened, but before he could react, his face was greeted by a swift kick from Tigress. He stumbled backwards, which gave Viper just enough time to unhook his belt containing the orange explosives. Then, Po flew in and bounced him off his stomach into a flaming barrel.

"Crane! Monkey!" Tigress shouted. "Get the villagers to safety."

"On it!" They said in unison.

"Po! Viper! Mantis! Handle the rest of the raiders. I'll take care of Aden."

"It's Kung-Fu time!" Po shouted jubilantly.

The group dispersed, as they began to methodically control the near catastrophe of the Fall Festival raid. Kicks and punches were being thrown left and right, and Jackals could be seen flying through the air before being tied up and tossed into a pile. Aden didn't seem to notice, though. He was too busy enjoying the particularly beautiful night sky with a bruised body and bloody face.

"Aden!" Tigress rushed to his side and kneeled down next to him. "Are you alright?"

"Noooope…" Aden chuckled.

"Can you walk?"

"With some help, yeah, probably."

Tigress gently lifted him up into a sitting position making sure to check for broken bones and any severe damage. She slung his arm around her shoulder and slowly hoisted him into a standing position. His legs were a bit shaky, but he could walk without experiencing too much pain.

"You were right," she said, as they made their way to the Jade Palace steps.

"About what?" He asked.

"You _did _do something crazy," she smirked.

Aden couldn't help but laugh, even though every 'ha' he let out was more excruciating than the last. He looked back and smiled at the scene to find most of the villagers had been moved to safety, and the pile of tied up jackal bandits was growing bigger and bigger by the minute.

Suddenly, the smile was wiped off his face when he realized something was missing.

"Wait!" Aden stopped Tigress. "Where's the boar?"

"Oh, yoo-hoo!" the voice of Bang chimed in from behind them. "Looking for moi?"

"It's over, Bang!" Tigress shouted back at him. "There's nowhere to run!"

"Yo, Tiger chick. Come and get me."

The smug look and condescending tone made Tigress snap. She growled and launched herself at him, leaving Aden barely standing up. Tigress approached him with such ferocity and speed she failed to notice his hoofs being held behind his back. She made one final leap with her claws drawn when Bang revealed a lion cub with one of the glowing bombs tied to its chest. Tigress immediately lost focus upon seeing the terrified child and was promptly kicked to the side, tumbling across the ground.

"Game's still on, freak," Bang laughed, shaking the cub like a toy. "You wanna know why they call me Bang? Cause I always go out with one."

With that, he crushed the explosive in his hoof, set the helpless victim in place, and sprinted away screaming "5 seconds on the clock!"

Without missing a beat, Aden hobbled as fast as he could towards the crying cub. His legs were on fire and his head was pounding, but his heart was dead set on going out with one last good deed. 5 seconds? 5 hours? 5 days? 5 weeks? How long has it been? Since he first arrived on this world? For him to leave it?

He was less than 5 feet away when he heard the hissing sound escaping from the cracked orange object. His knees buckled making him flop down right next to the cub sending another wave of pain through his body. The last few moments felt like an eternity to Aden, as he used every last ounce of adrenaline to snap the rope tying the explosive to the victim, roll onto his stomach holding the bomb under him, and pray.

What happened next, Aden couldn't tell. There was an incessant ringing in his ear, his vision was fuzzy, and everything felt wet. Oddly enough though, there was no pain.

A black and orange blur came into view screaming wildly, but Aden couldn't fully make out what it was saying.

"...Ade-...-den!...pleas-...han-...in...ther-...don-...leav-...me...Pleas-..."

Then, Aden blacked out.

* * *

**GUESS WHO'S BACK!**

**I want to quickly address a few things:**

**1) I absolutely plan to finish this story. Unfortunately, I'm unable to give a consistent update schedule, so please bear in mind the frequency of uploads can change.**

**2) Please, please, please, please, please leave some feedback for me. I'm desperately trying to improve my writing ability. Don't get me wrong, I adore all the comments that say "Great chapter!", but I'm really looking for ways to improve my flow, grammar, dialogue, and scene depictions. **

**3) this is still a ROMANCE/adventure fic. People have asked when/who Aden is going to fall in love, and I want to make it clear why I'm not responding to any of these questions. I've read a decent amount of "Human in KFP" stories, and one gripe I have with a lot of them is that the main character adapts way too quickly to a brand new environment. That doesn't inherently make the story bad, but it takes away a big chunk of the human emotion that I think readers are trying to relate with. With that being said, the romance IS coming. I just want to make sure my character(s) have fully established their existence in the new universe before delving deep into it.**

**Thank you all for reading! I love you all! :)**

**Mr. Poopy Butthole**


	8. Chapter 8

"We'll secure the front!" Tigress announced. "Aden, try to find a way in from the rear!"

"On it, Tigress!" Aden responded. "I won't let you guys down!"

The slender human dashed to the west side of the concrete structure making sure to stay out of the enemy's line of sight. He peeked past the edge and upon seeing a clear path dashed to the back end of the building. After rounding the corner, an iron door was all that was left standing between him and the hostages. He gave it a firm kick right next to the knob causing the door to swing open wildly, nearly fly off its hinges. He gazed down the seemingly endless hallway of brown apartment doors, each one labeled with the numbers '101', '102', '103', and so on. The smell of mildew hung in his nose, and the long fluorescent lights flickered above him. His feet scritched against the faded, green carpet as he cautiously walked down the hall.

"128, 129, 130…" He read aloud. "131, 132… H-home…?"

Aden rubbed his eyes at the door in front of him. Clear as day in golden lettering that matched the font of every other door in the building was the word 'Home'. He glanced left and right, checking to see if somebody else was around to confirm he wasn't imagining things. He didn't have time to contemplate what he was about to do next, as his hand had involuntarily reached for the knob. A careful twist and push was all it took for Aden to completely lose his mind. In front of him was none other than his mother.

He instantly pounced and engulfed her in the deepest hug he could muster, tears forming in his eyes. "Mom!"

"Shhhh, Aden," she consoled. "It's alright."

"I thought I'd never see you again!"

"I know, I know. But, we're together now," she comforted, stroking his back and giggling. "And, you'll never have to go back."

"What do you mean?" He continued holding her tightly.

"You'll never have to be with those creatures ever again."

Aden loosened his grip. "Oh… Uhm… Can I say goodbye or something?"

She tightened her grip "No, you can't ever see them again."

Aden pushed away and met her eyes, feeling their desperation. "But…"

"Don't you love me?" Her voice saddened.

"Of course I do…" He sighed.

"Please," She began to cry. "Don't leave me."

He hugged her tightly again. "I won't. I'm sorry, Mom. I'll stay with you no matter what."

"Good."

Suddenly, the door slammed closed. Aden jumped at the sound and looked back to see the now shut door locking itself.

"What the…?"

His mother's hand grabbed his cheek and directed his vision forward. His eyes never met hers, though. She didn't have any.

Aden fell backwards and slammed against the floor at the horrifying sight.

"Aden? You're not leaving me, are you?" She begged.

"Mom…" He nervously muttered, scooching towards the door on his butt. "What's going on?..."

"Stay with me, Aden." She commanded, the lights beginning to flicker.

Aden jumped to his feet and began yanking on the handle, but the door wouldn't budge.

"Stay!"

"No!" He shouted, slamming his body into the door and feeling it give way as if it were paper.

He landed and looked in fear down the long hallway of now strobing lights. The ground started to shake, as Aden scrambled to his feet. He tore across the carpet towards the front exit, while the word "stay" was repeatedly whispered in his ear from no recognizable point of origin. He braced for impact and burst through the exit door to a completely silent scene.

In front of him were the battered and unmoving bodies of Po, Crane, Viper, Monkey, and Mantis. Tigress was the only one who barely stood but was in the worst shape of all. Blood caked her orange fur and deep lacerations shown on every limb. She stumbled forward, the scrapes of her paws against the ground the only sound resonating through the air. She eventually collapsed to her knees, blood pooling around her.

"Why did you betray us…" She spoke weakly.

"Tigress... I-I didn't mean to do anything," he pleaded.

"Why?" Urgency snuck its way into her tone, as her volume increased.

"I'm sorry. Please, I'm so sorry!" Aden dropped to his knees

"WHY?" A coarse, dejected shout rang from Tigress.

"Please!"

"WHY!?"

Aden jolted awake, sweat drenching every inch of his upper half. His eyes darted around the room, taking in all the familiar surroundings of the Jade Palace. His labored breaths began to slow, as his mind came back to reality.

Suddenly, the door to his room slid open, and a grinning Tigress entered carrying a tray of tea and steamed buns. Upon seeing Aden in his stupor, Tigress' eyes donned a slightly concerned expression and moved to his bedside.

"How was your rest?" She asked, placing the tray on the table adjacent to his bed.

"Fine," he replied. "Just another nightmare."

"The night of the festival still terrorizing your mind?"

"Actually, this one was about my mom…"

Tigress looked at him curiously. "I see…" She quietly cleared her throat. "Would you… like to discuss anything?"

Aden maintained eye contact with her for a brief moment before looking down at his hands. "I don't know… I guess it was just so weird seeing her again. I mean, she was right in front of me. She held me! And, I held her! It felt so real..."

"What happened next?"

He looked back at Tigress and found his tired eyes locked to her attentive ones. They remained that way for a few moments, Aden soaking in her comforting gaze. He sighed deeply and looked back down at his lap before responding.

"She… uhm… She didn't turn out to be the person that I thought she was."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Is that where it ended?"

Aden continued to stare into his lap. "Yeah."

"You're lying."

"That obvious?"

"Yes," she answered simply. "But, I won't pry. You'll tell me when you're ready."

"Thanks, Tigress. I know I'm not the easiest to deal with."

"I should say so. I've been taking care of you like a helpless cub for the past month." She smirked.

"And, I can't thank you enough for it." Aden smiled and gave her a wink. "It looks like we're even, huh?"

"Not yet. But closer."

Aden attempted to sit up and reach for some food when a sudden shock of pain swept through his side. He winced and retracted his arm with a sharp intake of air passing through his teeth.

"Are you alright?" She asked, hurriedly resting her paw on his side.

"Yeah, I'm fine," He replied. "The wound is fully healed, but I still can't move too fast."

"Let me check."

Tigress moved the cloth shirt off his abdomen to reveal the graphic scar lining the left half of his body. The explosion Aden absorbed had blown a hole in his side. If it wasn't for Po leading everybody to heal him through Chi, he would've been good as dead in minutes. Unfortunately, chi can only do so much. Chi reconnected most of his broken tissue, but his skin healed naturally. Mangled patterns of scar tissue ran from his pelvis to his chest.

"Tigress, if you wanted to take my clothes off, you could've just asked." Aden coyly remarked.

Tigress shot him a curious glance.

"I'm messing with you, Kitty," Aden chuckled.

"Kitty?" Her curious glance intensified.

"Yeah. That's my new nickname for you."

"I'd prefer if you changed it to something less... condescending."

"You'll learn to love it."

Tigress held a perplexed look for a few moments before sighing, standing up, and shaking her head. "You are a very unusual man, Aden."

Aden simply smirked. He knew that was a compliment. He saw the smile between every shake of her head.

"I'll collect the tray in a little while. Enjoy your meal."

"Thanks again, Tigress."

She bowed in return, then walked out the door.

Aden munched on his breakfast, enjoyed his tea, and felt the peace. It was another nice day outside, but he'd have to stay stuck in doors for just a little bit longer. He didn't mind getting some forced relaxation time, though.

"Knockity knock knock." Po's voice rang from the threshold.

"What's up, Po?" Aden replied, popping the last bite of a bun into his mouth.

"Just wanted to check up on my favorite human companion and bring him more fanmail."

Po then revealed a bouquet from behind his back that bore a magnificent blend of colors. Attached near the base was a card, which Aden could make out the words 'Our Hero' scribed on the front.

"You are becoming _quite _the celebrity," Po continued.

"I'm really not used to this kind of attention," Aden sighed, taking the flowers and setting it next to various other gifts of pottery, food, and flowers from the valley.

"What about your music, dude? Didn't you use to rock out on stage?"

"I've never received a hand-made vase for a performance before..."

"Oh, speaking of rocking out, I've been meaning to ask you: why didn't you use your magic jam powers to take Bang out at the festival?"

"First of all, I didn't know how to actually play that instrument I found on the ground. On top of that, even if I _did_ know how to play it, I still don't have the slightest idea of how to trigger my _abilities_." Aden added air quotes to his last word.

"Well, keep shredding away, then. They'll come soon enough."

Aden Laughed and picked up the last steamed bun from the platter.

"You going to finish that?" Po questioned, pointing to the bun that was inches away from Aden's open mouth.

Aden looked directly at Po, then at the bun, then back at Po before closing his mouth, sighing, and tossing it to him. "It's all yours, man."

Po snatched it out of the air and popped it into his mouth before turning towards the door. "Alright, bromego, I got some butt to kick. Take it easy."

"You too, dude."

The panda sauntered out of the room, leaving Aden to his thoughts once again. He glanced over to the pile of gifts and exhaled slowly. Being a musical celebrity was one thing, but being a village hero held much more weight. Especially considering he's the 'alien who sacrificed himself to save a young child and the rest of the valley from certain disaster' kind of hero. He wasn't sure how to feel about it yet. It was just all too overwhelming for him. Fortunately, civilians weren't allowed to enter the Jade Palace while Aden recovered, so he didn't have to accept their praise in person yet.

The sound of someone clearing their throat suddenly broke Aden from his musings. He turned his head towards the entrance to find Crane, who gave a small wave once their eyes made contact.

"Hey," Aden started, motioning for him to enter the room. "Just paying me a visit?"

"Yeah," He replied, walking over to Aden. "I can only assume how lonely being cooped up in here for weeks on end is."

"Preach. Luckily, I have my kung fu companions to keep me company."

"Especially Tigress," Crane chuckled.

"Hmmm?" Aden's eyebrow raised.

"She's in and out of your room all day. Even when someone else offers to help, she insists on doing it herself. I've never seen Tigress so... attentive. I mean, to something besides kung fu that is."

"I guess I snuck my way onto her good side," Aden shrugged.

"Which is wildly impressive," Crane commented before muttering under his breath. "Wish I could sneak my way onto Viper's good side…"

"You're already on her good side."

"You know what I mean…"

"You still haven't talked to her, huh?"

"I _talk _to her," Crane's tone grew slightly defensive. "But, how do I take it to the next step? '_Oh, Hello Viper. We've known each other for a very long time, right? Well, I just wanted to let you know that I think you're incredibly swell. So swell, in fact, that I'd like to you on a date. What do you say, partner?_"

"You're overthinking it," Aden replied flatly. "Start small."

"I'm trying." Crane exhaled slowly. "Anyway, I'm finishing up a painting, then heading down to the valley to look for a new straw hat. You want me to pick you up anything?"

"I'm good. Thanks, though."

Crane gave Aden an accepting nod and made his way out the door. Though, he didn't make it far past the threshold before his voice piped up again.

"Oh, hey, Viper!" He excitedly said. "Monkey, Mantis. What are you guys up to?"

"Mantis and I are here for Aden's acupuncture session," Viper cheerily replied, while Aden audibly gulped.

"I'm here for moral support," Monkey smugly added.

"Thank god for that!" Aden yelled from his bed. "I'm going to need it."

The group chuckled, then Crane went on his way and the rest of them entered the room.

"Do I _really _have to do this?" Aden whined.

"Oh, hush," Viper shot back. "You know it's not bad."

"You're not the one getting poked…" Aden carefully removed his shirt and rolled onto his front to prepare for his treatment.

Monkey set down the acupuncture kit and popped it open, revealing numerous 3 inch needles. Viper held up a body diagram of bonobo-a primate that somewhat resembled the body structure of a human-while Mantis worked. One by one, he gently inserted each needle into him until his back resembled a tiny field of silver trees. Monkey was the only one not directly involved. Instead, he sat in the corner and laughed profusely whenever Mantis would hit a nerve causing Aden to mildly convulse.

"Aaaaaand, done," Mantis announced, placing the final needle. "How do you feel?"

"Well, I'm still breathing," Aden's exaggerated strained voice answered

"Stop being such a baby," Viper jokingly snapped back. "We're here to help you."

"Well, I don't need your help," Aden joked.

Then, as quick as a whip, a devilishly brilliant idea popped into his head.

"But, do you know who does need your help?" Aden continued. "Crane! He wanted you to go hat shopping with him. Needs your opinion, and I think he's leaving soon."

"Crane asked for me?" Viper's curious eyes brightened.

"I actually have excellent taste in hat wear!" Mantis interjected. "I'd give him some great advice."

Aden cocked his eyes at Mantis and replied through clenched teeth. "I'm pretty sure Crane specifically wanted Viper's opinion."

"Sorry, Mantis," Monkey jumped in, tossing Aden a wink. "Someone needs to remove the needles from Aden's back, and someone else needs to supervise... and laugh."

"Ugh, fine," Mantis grunted in defeat. "Don't come crying to me when he picks out a lame hat…"

"It's a risk we're willing to take," Aden laughed. "You can go ahead, Viper. Mantis and Monkey got it from here."

"Oh, ok!" She answered gleefully. "Thanks guys!"

Viper slithered out of the room leaving the 3 males to themselves.

"Alright," Aden spoke up. "Get these fucking things out me."

"As you wish, your highness," Mantis sarcastically replied.

Mantis spent the next 15 minutes meticulously removing each and every needle, making sure to clean and set them neatly back in their case. As the last piece of metal was plucked from Aden, he gave a deep exhale of relief and rolled back over.

"Oh sweet jesus. Thank god it's over," Aden relaxed.

"I got my fill of laughs for the day," Monkey sat up from his spot in the corner. "Do you need anything before we go?"

"Nope, I'm all good." He responded. "Thanks for the help, boys."

2 nods were sent Aden's way, then both warriors strolled out of the room.

For being bedridden, Aden had his social needs met pretty easily. He was beyond grateful for all the support from his friends and was beginning to see them become family. It was foreign for him to call a group of walking, talking, and kung fu fighting animals family, but he liked it. Change is hard; there's no denying that. But sometimes, change is what you need.

"Aden," the voice of a certain red panda entered the room. "How are you faring?"

"Master Shifu," Aden bowed slightly in return, making sure not to put strain on his body in the process. "Could be better. But, I've been getting a ton of attention lately, so I really can't complain."

"It's well deserved," Shifu paced around Aden's bed and looked over the pile of gifts. "You sacrificed your well being for the safety of the valley even after they shunned and ridiculed you. That's the sign of a true warrior."

"Thank you, Master. Though, I believe any of my fellow warriors would've done the same."

"That may be true, but acknowledging your own mortality in a foreign world and still giving your all for a single cub is beyond admirable. You haven't been here long enough to be considered a master, but with the selflessness you exhibited, you're well on your way."

Aden smiled and bowed in return.

"What was the name Oogway gave to you?" Shifu questioned.

"Uh… Lyric?" Aden replied sheepishly.

"Lyric," the red panda repeated, making his way to the door. "I like it. Now, rest up. You'll be back on your feet soon enough."

"Yes, Master," Aden bowed again. "Thank you."

Master Shifu gave Aden a nod and walked past the door frame and out of sight, while Aden laid back down to relax.

"Oh, one more thing," Master Shifu popped his head back into view. "I see you and Tigress have grown quite fond of each other and developed a very close friendship. Don't forget that I'm still her father."

Shifu then winked and disappeared from view once again. Aden simply sat in confusion.

"What was that all about?"

* * *

**Oh shit waddap! ****I hope this longer chapter was worth the wait :D**

**Q&A SESSION:**

**I've been receiving a few PMs about my plot/character choices, and I thought it'd be fun to open up the floor so everyone could see my answers! Please leave a question/criticism/comment and I'll answer them publicly in the next chapter. JSYK I will completely ignore questions asking about future plot points, so please don't ask about what's coming next. Feel free to ask about me, my story, my writing process and style, my inspiration, etc.**

**I'm so grateful for all readers! You are the reason I keep writing :)**

\- **Dank Sauce McGee**

**P.S. Y'all should watch Infinity Train. It's dope as fuck.**


	9. Chapter 9

"Find your center of gravity," Shifu instructed. "It's the key to mastering the Jade Tortoise."

Aden wobbled back and forth, as the massive, green bowl teetered considerably. Both feet were planted on the edge, but his arms were swinging back and forth wildly trying to steady himself. One arm swing later and his body toppled over landing with a muted thud in the bowl's center.

"You're not focusing on balance," the red panda scolded. "Your mind is occupied by the fear of falling."

"It's hard not to think about falling when I'm in the middle of doing just that…" Aden muttered back.

"Excuses will get you nowhere." Shifu looked over at the rest of his students waiting patiently by one end of the training hall. "Monkey, join Aden."

Monkey glanced over to the others before shrugging his shoulders and using his tail to hop to his feet. He jumped up to the rafters and used the various training equipment to swing over and land gracefully on the edge of the jade bowl. Aden, who had been in the middle of climbing back up to the edge, slid back down into the center and groaned.

Master Shifu cleared his throat. "You may begin sparring."

"Wait, what?" Aden squeaked.

Immediately, Monkey leaped into the air, extended a fist, and nosedived for Aden's chest. Aden barely had enough time to arch his back sideways to avoid the strike. The 2 briefly made eye contact before Monkey launched another attack at his bowed spine. The human dodged it again by rolling back through the middle, clipping one of Monkey's feet, and tipping the bowl over to one side. Both quickly sprung back to their feet, but before Aden could assess his next move, Monkey leaned on his tail and released a kick sending Aden back into an edge causing the jade tortoise to roll in a circle. Instead of retaliating, Aden laid back and let the momentum carry him around while monkey steadied himself by holding onto the lip as the dish rotated.

"Po," the grand master spoke again. "You may enter the fight."

"Are you kidding me?" Aden whined, as he stood up and began to run with the rotation of the bowl.

"Cowabunga!" Po cried, hurling himself like a cannonball into the raised edge, stopping the bowls rotation instantly and flinging the opposite end up.

The 2 individuals originally in the bowl flew like darts through the air. Aden was able to latch onto one of the spiked rings and swing up towards the ceiling while Monkey crashed into an armory stand of lanes and hook swords. Upon reaching the peak, Aden gave his best tarzan shout and swung back down. He released his grip at just the right moment, stiffened his legs, and collided with the same edge he left from forcing Po back into a cannonball. The chubby panda soared back towards the group of observing warriors, as each one began to scramble out of the way of the fuzzy bullet. Mantis unfortunately wasn't quick enough and was pinned under Po's black and white fluff.

"Excellent work, Aden!" Master Shifu praised. "The perfect showcase of balance."

"Balance?" Aden questioned, climbing out of the training area and up to the small red panda. "I was barely able to stand still."

"Balance isn't about remaining motionless. It's about maintaining stability. Or, as you would call it, 'going with the flow.'"

Aden grinned then bowed at Shifu's compliment.

"Uh, a little help here!" The muffled voice of Mantis vibrated from underneath Po's body.

A hearty laugh was shared amongst the group before their teacher spoke again. "Your training has finished for the day. Enjoy your night off."

"Yes, Master." The group bowed in unison.

The tired fighters began to make their way back towards the barracks while idly chatting. Aden was asking Crane about his latest art piece when a fuzzy hand tapped him on the back.

"Yo, Aden," Po addressed him. "The five and I plan to grab a bite in the valley tonight. You in?"

"The valley?" Aden gulped.

"Yeah, man. It's been 3 months since the incident, and you still haven't left the Jade Palace yet."

"You have to come, Aden!" Viper joined in. "It'll be a lot of fun."

"It wouldn't be a team dinner without you," Monkey added.

"What if the villagers freak out again?" He asked.

"I _highly _doubt that..." Crane added. "In fact, I can almost _guarantee _it."

Aden pondered this quietly as they entered the barracks. He stopped by his room with the rest of the group in tow, patiently waiting for his response.

"Ok, fine," Aden sighed. "I'll go."

"Great!" Po danced. "I'll come to get you when we're ready to head down."

"Sounds good."

The warriors dispersed and Aden entered his room and slid the door closed. He walked by his bed and gripped the headstock of his guitar. Gently lifting it off the ground, he inspected the absurdly poor craftsmanship. It was awkward to play, and the tone just wasn't quite right, but he loved the thing to death. It meant the world having a little piece of his old home with him, even if it sounded off.

He carried it over to his bed and sat down with the instrument resting his lap. His fingers slid up and down the strings before finally coming to a rest over the sound hole. He closed his eyes and let his hands go to work. The familiar song of his childhood began to fill the air, but it was soon interrupted by a rapt at his door, breaking him from his quickly muted the strings and called out to them.

"Who is it?"

The door slid open to reveal a smiling Tigress.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite Tiger," Aden said tossing her a smile of his own.

"I'm the only Tiger you know," she shot back.

"Well, when you say it like that, it's not as impressive," he winked, patting the space next to him on the bed.

She strolled over and took a seat while looking over his guitar. "What was that song you were playing?"

"Oh, just something from back home. My mom used to play it for me when I was little."

"It's beautiful. Did she teach you?"

"Everything I know."

"What about your father?"

Aden's smile instantaneously disappeared. "He... wasn't around."

"Oh... I apologize for bringing up a sore subject." A hint a shame snuck its way into her tone.

"No, no, it's ok," He assured her, resting a hand on her forearm. "You didn't know. Besides, it's about time I told my best friend about my past."

Tigress. The unshakable warrior. The mighty defender of the Jade Palace. The unstoppable force that evil cowers before. The adorable kitten who bore a goofy smile and who's tail currently flicked back and forth high above her head.

"_Best_ friend?"

Aden couldn't help but laugh. "Of course, Kitty! Who'd you think it was? Mantis?"

"No, I guess not," she chuckled lightly.

"We may have had a rough start, but you've been there for me more than anybody else, and it means a lot."

Tigress simply smiled.

"Aden, could you play that song again?" She requested.

"Of course," he responded brightly, adjusting the guitar on his lap.

Without saying another word, Aden began to play. His fingers danced across the frets as the familiar song filled the room once again. As he reached the end of the song's intro, he closed his eyes and began to sing.

"_Blackbird singing in the dead of night_

_Take these broken wings and learn to fly_

_All your life_

_You were only waiting for this moment to arise._

_Black bird singing in the dead of night_

_Take these sunken eyes and learn to see_

_All your life_

_You were only waiting for this moment to be free…"_

Aden's eyes slowly opened back up to find Tigress engrossed in his music. Her eyes held a deep feeling of wonder and were fixated on Aden, much to his amusement. He felt so giddy seeing his closest friend bewitched with his music that he didn't notice the yellow streams of glowing light begin to flower out of the soundhole. Aden closed his eyes and continued with the chorus.

"_Blackbird fly, blackbird fly_

_Into the light of the dark black night_

_Blackbird fly, blackbird fly_

_Into the light of the dark black night"_

By this point, Tigress was well aware of the magic happening before her, but she had no intention of stopping him. The streams grew brighter and cascaded in all different directions, including one that began to gradually wrap itself around Tigress. It was a show of unparalleled beauty that she knew deserved to see its end.

"_Blackbird singing in the dead of night_

_Take these broken wings and learn to fly_

_All your life_

_You were only waiting for this moment to arise"_

Aden opened his eyes to find the room engulfed in color. However, the only color he saw was coming the shining eyes of Tigress.

"_You were only waiting for this moment to arise"_

The swirling beams of yellow had now wrapped all the way around Tigress up to her neck, blanketing her in a brilliant glow. As he neared the last line, he slowed the pace and sang each word to his radiating audience.

"_You were only waiting for this moment to a-"_

The door to Aden's room flew open, abruptly stopping his playing. The streams out light immediately fading out of existence, dimming the room back to its natural hue.

"Aden you ready to… Woah..." Mantis stopped mid question, catching the yellow light dwindle to nothingness. "What the hell just happened here?"

Aden and Tigress swiveled their heads to find an awestruck Po with paws attached to his cheeks and a beyond confused Mantis.

Tigress grew a look of pure rage and was about to tear into them both for interrupting, but Po mirthfully jumped in before she could get a word out. "Dude! You learned how to control your powers!"

"Uhmm…" Aden awkwardly replied, scratching the back of his neck. "I wouldn't say _control_. I didn't really watch it going on."

"Are you kidding me?!" The panda incredulously questioned. "The room was like a sun bath! That was one of the coolest things I've seen you do so far, and that's saying something. We wouldn't need candles anymore once you know how to totally control them! That'd be insanely cool!"

The human became flustered at Po's unrelenting praise and scrambled to change the subject. "Uh… yeah… Thanks Po. So, uh, were you going to say something before, Mantis?"

"Oh, yeah, we're ready to head down when you are," Mantis replied.

"Perfect. You ready, Tigress?" Aden turned towards her with a questioning smile.

Tigress merely nodded in return.

After placing his guitar away, Aden and Tigress followed the others to the Jade Palace courtyard where they found Viper, Crane, and Monkey waiting. After a brief round of hellos, they made their way down the long stairway.

The all too familiar feeling in Aden's stomach grew as they neared the bottom, but the group was prepared for it this time.

"Relax, buddy," Po consoled. "Things are gonna be different this time around. I promise you."

"What makes you so sure?" Aden questioned.

"Well, you basically saved the damn village for starters…" Mantis sarcastically pointed out.

"Don't tease him," Viper defended. "There are probably a thousand emotions running through his head right now." She then turned her attention to Aden. "He is right, though. The valley knows what you did for it, and you should be proud of that."

Aden nodded at her comment and exhaled slowly to calm himself. Once they had reached the bottom of the steps, Aden glanced around at his surroundings to find a fairly empty village. It wasn't late, but the sun had already set, so he chalked it up to people heading to bed early. This worked in Aden's favor because he wasn't sure if he was ready for the onslaught of attention yet.

The group walked casually down the main pathway before eventually stopping at an unlit building.

"We're here!" Po sang.

"This is the place we're eating at?" Aden cocked an eyebrow at the building. "It looks dead."

The group gave each other knowing smiles before ushering Aden through the doorway. He shuffled his feet across the stone floor and stopped a few feet into the darkness. He couldn't see anything, but he was getting the nagging sense that somebody was in here.

He cleared his throat and called out. "Uhm… Hello?"

Suddenly, lanterns all around the room lit up simultaneously to reveal a swarm of villagers crammed in the area.

"Surprise!" The crowd erupted.

Aden's eyes grew wide at the sight before him. Hoots and hollers came from every direction, as animals of all kinds threw confetti into the air.

Po came up close behind Aden and shook him excitedly. "We tricked ya! This is your 'Thank You' party!"

"'Thank You' party?" He questioned, looking back at the panda.

"See for yourself," Po pointed ahead.

Aden turned forward to see a giant banner unravel, displaying the words 'Our Hero' in bright gold lettering. As he glanced around, he came to the realization that the room was actually a bar. A table stretching the length of the room sat in the back overflowing with food and covered in various decorations.

Suddenly, He felt an overwhelming feeling of fear well up inside as a towering wolf who once served him beer approached. The two individuals locked eyes with one another and held neutral expressions until the wolf stopped a few feet in front of him. Then, the wolf grew in immense smile and extended his paw.

"Welcome to Huan's Bar!" he said jovially.

"H-hello," Aden nervously replied, his hand remaining by his side.

Huan noticing the human's discomfort retracted his paw and sighed. "Look... I can't tell you how sorry I am for what I did. It was wrong for me to make you out as the bad guy. I just got caught up trying to protect my people, ya know? But, I've felt so guilty for basically starting the assault, and I needed some way to make it up to you. So, I really hope you enjoy yourself tonight."

"You… You did all this?"

"Well, I brought the idea up and offered my bar for the venue, but your friends here did most of the heavy lifting."

Aden turned to find warm smiles coming from each of his fellow warriors followed by a cute tail wave from Viper.

"So, what do you say?" Huan spoke up again, extending his paw once more. "All is forgiven?"

The human stood still momentarily before a smirk developed on his face and his hand tightly clasped the wolf's paw. "Free drinks for me and my friends all night and I'll consider it."

Huan gave a hearty laugh. "You got yourself a deal, bud."

Next came a bombardment of apologies and thank you's unlike Aden had ever experienced. Villagers of all ages got way too close for Aden's comfort and some even groveled, so it was no wonder he couldn't help but reply awkwardly after each interaction. Luckily, he had his companions by his side to ease the discomfort.

"It gets easier," Monkey nudged Aden's embarrassed stance.

"Just wait until they try to get in bed with you…" Mantis chuckled.

"Mantis, don't being gross," Viper scolded.

As the crowd surrounding Aden dwindled and he gave his last variation of 'You're welcome. 'I'd do anything to protect the valley,' something very special happened: a cub approached Aden. Not just any cub, but a cub that Aden knew very well. A cub that he had sacrificed his life for.

The little lioness sheepishly walked up to Aden with a folded piece of paper hanging between her paws. She stopped when she had to crane her neck all the way back just to see his face. The human warrior then got down on one knee and smiled kindly to the cub at eye level. Then, without saying a word, the cub held out both paws holding the sheet. He took it with a nod and opened it to reveal a heartwarming drawing of 2 stick figures holding hands. At the top were the words 'Thank You' with the letter 'k' written backwards. Aden held the drawing silently and took it all in.

Stick figures. Not animals. Not Creatures. Stick figures. One small and one big, both having 2 dots for eyes and a single curve for a smile. They didn't see him as a monster anymore. He just needed to prove it, and all it took was a single drawing from a little girl to convince him of that.

Aden looked up from the drawing and scooped the cub up in his arms and gave her a tight squeeze, which she gleefully reciprocated. After setting her down, her parents walked up gave their ardent thank you's, which even included a tight hug of their own.

"Phew," Aden wiped his brow and made his way over to the bar after the family had walked off. "I think I need a drink after all that."

"You said it, brother," Po agreed. "Huan, send a few beers our way!"

"You got it, Dragon Warrior," the bartender gave him a thumbs up.

"Woah, should we all be drinking?" Aden questioned. "What about if somebody attacks while we're all getting sloshed!"

"Reeeeelax, man," Mantis jumped in front of him. "It's all been taken care of."

"We hired top of the line guards from Gongmen City to protect the valley," Viper pointed out. "Tonight, is your night."

"Well... in that case…."

A drink slid into Aden's hand and he gulped it down in seconds. Wiping the foam from his mouth, he let out a satisfied "ahhh".

Ecstatic smiles flew on the faces of Mantis and Monkey.

"Woah-ho!" Mantis yelled excitedly. "You didn't tell us you knew how to party!"

"Better question is: Do _you_?" Aden held up his drink to them.

"Oh no…" Viper muttered.

"Oh, yeah!" Po shouted, grabbing his glass and clinking it with Mantis and Monkey's.

The night went on with the 4 rambunctious boys drinking rather heavily. Viper and Crane also had drinks, but they preferred to take their time. Tigress was the only one casually drinking a glass of water.

Aden noticed right away that his fellow warriors didn't drink often. For a big guy, Po was already starting to slur his speech after only a couple drinks. Monkey was starting to get a little tipsy and Mantis was already wasted. For having basically the same amount of alcohol, Aden was only starting to really feel the buzz.

"Yo, it's like-it's like this, man," Mantis garbled out, poking Aden in the chest. "You _find _the lady. You tell her you like her stuff. Then, you take her home!"

"The advice has to work for it to be _good _advice," Monkey countered. "Has that ever worked?"

"Pssh, all the time," Mantis retorted. "Watch *hic* this."

"Alright, I'm going to grab some grub while this all plays out," Aden laughed getting up from his stool.

He made his way over to the unending spread of food and began eyeing the options. He started at one end of the table and slowly shuffled his way down smacking his lips along the way. Everything looked delicious and he couldn't figure out where to start. He was so caught up in the food that he didn't notice the person coming from the opposite end of the table. They collided and both gave an "oof" as a female figure crashed into his chest.

"I'm so sorry, miss," Aden quickly apologized. "I didn't look where I was going."

"No, it's quite alright. I wasn't ei-" she stopped mid sentence. "Aden?"

It took a moment for Aden to remember, but it quickly came back to him once she backed up slightly.

"Oh, uh, hi Liu" he awkwardly replied.

The lioness blushed profusely and cleared her throat. "I… uh… I think I owe you an apology."

Aden scratched the back of his neck and shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably. "You think?"

"Alright, I _definitely _owe you an apology. It was unfair of me to assume your intentions were bad, and I'm beyond sorry for treating you like a freak."

"You know... I can absolutely forgive the freak part of things, but forcibly invading my privacy by removing my mask? That's a whole other level of fucked up."

"I know, I know… I just... knew there was something special about you and had to get a good look for myself."

Aden cocked an eyebrow.

"And, I may have scene you as... _different _before," she said, laying both paws on his chest. "But, now I see it as _exotic._"

The lioness gave him the same sultry look from the day of the festival and began to wrap her tail around his waist, but Aden was quick to shut it down.

"Look, I forgive you for what happened, but this is a bit too much for me."

Liu slowly moved off him without hesitation and gave him an understanding smile. "Well, if you're ever feeling lonely, you know who to look for."

She gave him a wink before quickly turning and walking off into the crowd of people, her hips swaying back and forth significantly more than one would naturally move with. He watched her disappear, exhaled slowly, then hastily filled 2 plates worth of food before heading back to the bar.

Aden took a seat next to Crane who sipped his drink while looking at nothing in particular.

"How's the night been treating ya, buddy?" Aden asked, patting him on the back.

"It's been alright," He replied. "Watching Mantis get slapped was pretty funny."

"Awww, did I miss it? I can't believe you aren't having the time of your life after something like that."

"Yeah... I just guess it could be a little better… If I had some company."

Aden's eyes almost rolled into the back of his head after hearing that. He then clapped his hands together so loudly that it almost startled Crane.

"Alright, that's it. It's happening tonight." Aden said flatly.

"What's happening?" Crane questioned.

"You're going to tell her."

Crane's eyes widened. "Oh, no I'm not,"

"Oh, _yes _you are," Aden's eyes narrowed. "You aren't doing anyone any favors by sulking about it, and you don't even know her answer yet! You think you're risking your entire relationship with her, but that's not even remotely true. You know for a fact she would never abandon you. If she says no… Well, then, _she says no_. It's done. You have your answer. Yeah, it's gonna hurt, and sure it might be awkward for a little while, but god dammit you're going to be so much happier in the long run knowing you at least _tried_."

Crane sat quietly for a moment before turning his head to watch Viper who was currently talking to 2 other mammals at a table a few meters from the bar. A look of determination suddenly grew on his face, and he stood up from his stool.

"You're right," he started. "I have to do this. I can't hold it in any longer."

"That's what I'm talking about!" Aden encouraged. "And, perfect timing too! Her friends are leaving."

The look of determination on Crane's face quickly turned into a timid one, as he tried to sit back down. "Uh... maybe it can wait until tomorrow."

"Oh no you don't!" Aden grabbed Crane by the back, turned him around, and bumped him with his hip until he stumbled into the table where Viper sat.

Aden couldn't hear a word that was being exchanged, but he didn't need to. He could tell exactly what was happening from their bodies alone. Crane's nervous scramble to stand up straight and look presentable. Viper's giggle at his clumsiness. Crane's leg wobbles, as he started the dialogue. Viper's cock of her head as she listened intently. Crane's avoidance of direct eye contact as he opened up to tell her the truth. Viper's eyes brightly smiling at each of his words. Crane finally making eye contact as he admits his feelings. Viper excitedly slithering across the table, coiling herself around his chest, and planting a quick kiss on the side of his beak.

"Looks like my work here is done." Aden smiled at the scene and finished another drink. "Yo, Huan, you got anything stronger? I'm looking to actually_ feel _something tonight."

"I thought you'd never ask," the wolf laughed.

Huan began to pull various bottles of liquor out from under the bar and pour them into a shot glass. He slid it over to Aden who gazed at its mysterious dark pigment.

"I call it the Blackout, and for a good reason, too." Huan winked.

The human picked up the glass and shot it back without hesitation. Immediately he was hit with burning sensation he hadn't yet experienced in this world. The flavor was unmatched and the strength hit him like a train.

"Wooo!" Aden praised, alerting his friends. "Now, that's what I call a shot!"

"What was that?" Po questioned.

"He calls it a Blackout. You want to go a round with me?"

"You know it!"

"Count Mantis and I in!" Monkey shared Po's enthusiasm.

"Might as well make it two more," Crane approached the bar with Viper slung around his shoulders.

"A group shot!" Aden raved. "Alright, Huan, hit me with seven Blackouts!"

"Six."

Aden turned to find Tigress sitting down to his right, who had just corrected him.

"Seven." Aden repeated.

"A true warrior doesn't drink."

"Tigressssss… Stop with this 'true warrior' stuff. It's time to let loose a little."

The seven shots were placed on a tray in front of the group. One by one each glass disappeared from the tray until each warrior held one and Aden held two.

"Look, I know how you're against fun and all..." Aden gave Tigress a teasing smile and extended a glass towards her. "But, will the pretty kitty please take a shot for me?"

Tigress sat there with a blank expression on her face. Her eyes darted back and forth between Aden and the glass in front of her. Then, without saying another word, Tigress grabbed the shot from him.

The entire group behind him watched in amazement as the stone cold warrior actually accepted a drink. They all gave each other looks of pure befuddlement, as Aden gave a toast.

"To the greatest family I never asked for!" Aden held his drink high.

"To the greatest brother we never knew we needed!" Po returned, as the rest of the group raised their glasses.

A contagious smile spread amongst them, as the dark liquid was cast down their throats. Each gave their own respective head shake or face scrunch at the drink's strength, but Aden laughed the absolute hardest at Tigress. She tightly gripped the bar counter and coughed multiple times all the while violently shaking her head back and forth. Her coughing fit eventually ended, and she finally let go of the bar before making gagging faces directly at Aden.

"That was… Horrendous…" She wheezed.

Aden patted her on the back and laughed. "If I had to guess, I'd say that was your first shot."

"First alcoholic anything," she corrected.

"Really? Wow, I truly am honored then."

"You had better be. I don't understand why anybody likes this stuff."

"Oh, you'll see. _Very _soon."

Aden looked over his shoulder to see Po, Mantis, and Monkey engrossed in conversation, while Viper and Crane whispered in each other's ears and giggled. Everyone was visibly drunk, which made Aden chuckle. He himself was feeling well beyond tipsy by this point, but this was far from his first rodeo.

"I'm starting to feel a bit warm now." Tigress spoke up. "It feels… kind of nice."

"Ayyy, now you're starting to get it." Aden replied.

"Could I… have another?"

Aden shot her a smug smile. "You _absolutely _can. Huan, we'll have 2 more."

The drinks slid over, Aden and Tigress briefly clinked their glasses, then they both quickly downed them. This time, Tigress barely reacted, which Aden raised his brow in suspicion at.

"That was… _Impressive_." He praised. "You sure you've never done this before?"

"I'm always impressive," she shot back, significantly more cocky than usual.

"I can't argue with that," he laughed. "It looks like those 2 shots did a number on you, huh?"

Tigress batted at him playfully in response, so uncharacteristically so that she didn't even need to answer his question.

Suddenly, her face grew a look of curiosity. "Aden, you remember when you said it was about time you tell your best friend about your past?" She asked.

"I do," he smiled back.

"Could you… tell me more?"

"I absolutely can."

So, they talked. And talked. And talked. Aden told her everything about his Mom. He told her about how she always supported him even when money was tough. He told her about his difficult decision to move far away from home to continue his music. He told her about his absent father who disappeared even before he was born. He told her about his friends and past relationships. Aden told her everything he could think of, while Tigress sat and listened intently. However, Tigress made sure to contribute to the conversation as well. She told him about life at the Bao Gu orphanage. She told him about her relationship with Master Shifu as her father. She told him about the contentious nature of Po being chosen as the Dragon Warrior and the emotional rollercoaster that followed. Aden was completely fascinated by the outpouring of emotions he'd never seen from her, and he made sure to absorb every last word.

In the blink of an eye, 3 hours had passed. Most of the party goers had left, and everybody that remained were winding down after a long night of drinking. The other student warriors had all left by this point, and Aden and Tigress were the last 2 remaining members of the Jade Palace. They had shared 2 more drinks each throughout their long conversation, and Tigress was beginning to realize how much of a lightweight she actually was.

"It's reaaaally late," Tigress slurred. "I think we should head back now."

"That sounds like an _excellent _idea," Aden tiredly replied.

"Maybe... just one more for the trip up the stairs…"

Tigress attempted to call Huan over and almost slipped off the stool in the process.

"I think this kitty has had enough for her first night of drinking," Aden chuckled, helping her to stay on her seat.

"O… *hic* k..."

They both thanked Huan for the evening and stood up to leave. Tigress slung her arm around Aden's shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around her waist as they clumsily waltzed out of the bar. They laughed together, as they walked through the quiet town, the moon shining brightly above them. Slowly making their way up the long steps, Tigress began a series of drunken ramblings that Aden couldn't help but find endearing.

"Aden," She said, pausing before finishing the sentence. "You… are my best friend."

"As you are mine," Aden giggled.

"And, you… are the most _radical_."

Aden laughed boisterously. "That's a lot of praise coming from the toughest warrior in China."

"It's true! You are kind and smart and fun and amazing!"

"Thanks, Tigress. You sure do know how to pull the fun right out of me."

She gave him a goofy smile in response, and they continued the rest of the walk in silence, simply enjoying each other's company. They reached the top of the steps and tiptoed through the Jade Palace making sure not to wake anybody. As they reached the door that led to the student barracks, they stopped and looked at each other with sleepy expressions.

"Well, it looks like our fun ends here," he whispered and quietly chuckled.

Tigress quietly smiled at him before tightly wrapping her arms around his neck in a warm hug.

"Thank you, Aden," she whispered back. "For everything."

Aden smiled brightly and returned the hug with an equal amount of vigour. They stood there wrapped in each other's embrace for what seemed like hours before Aden was completely thrown off guard. Tigress began to purr and nuzzle him. Her head rubbed against Aden's cheek and under his neck sweetly, as he felt the low vibrations of her purring send shivers throughout his body.

She pulled away after a few moments and looked him directly in the eyes. "Goodnight, Aden."

Aden stood dumbstruck at what had just occurred but pulled himself together enough to respond. "Goodnight, Tigress."

With that, Tigress entered the barracks leaving Aden stiff as a board just outside the door trying to figure out how to move again.

* * *

**Holy shmoly! 5500 words is a new record for me. This was probably the most fun chapter for me to write, so I really hope yall enjoy it :)**

**Please, please, please leave a review for me? I'd love to hear how my lovelies are doing :3**

**As far as the Q&A goes, only 1 person really asked me questions, but here it goes nonetheless:**

**PyroFox117**

**_Q1. What inspired you to write this story, and how long do you think it will be?_**

**_Q2. Does Aden resemble you, do you think?_**

**_Q3. Is there any other fandom you eventually expect to write for?_**

**A1. I've always had a dream to write a sci-fi/romance/adventure novel, but I feel my world creation and writing skills are still sub par. I looked back on my original failure of a story (Stuck), and felt that a good way to redeem myself was to write a new 'Human in (fantasy world)' story. KFP is one of my favorite animated franchises. Bam. You got yourself a recipe for a spicy meatball. As of right now, the story is planned out to be ~15 chapters. This is still subject to change, though.**

**A2. Aden's personality absolutely resembles me. I'm a musician and helpless romantic, so this idea of 'defining my passions' through an out of world experience (literally) is a big component to it. Oddly enough, Tigress isn't one of my 'furry crushes,' but I absolutely adore her character :3**

**A3. Yes! I love Zootopia so friggin much and really want to explore that world through OCs. I'm starting to develop ideas for a story that revolves around 3 OC characters living in Zootopia and experiencing some crazy stuff. So, the story wouldn't focus around Nick or Judy at all. What do you think?**

**Guest**

**_Q: Can you please update, thank you._**

**A: No.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Wait, what? That can't be right. Did he... Did he really just upload a new chapter after months of nothing? :O**

* * *

"Ahhh," Crane sighed happily. "There's nothing like Po's noodle soup on a cold winter's day."

"You can say that again," Monkey confirmed.

"If you think this is good, then you'll love what my dad and I cook up tonight!" Po smiled and sat down with his own bowl while Crane, Mantis, Monkey, and Aden devoured theirs.

"I'm pumped to spend my first holiday season here," Aden added excitedly. "Thanks again for letting me join you guys."

"Are you kidding? It wouldn't be the same without you." Mantis replied.

"You got that right, buddy!" Po added. "Plus, you're going to make this holiday even more awesome-er with all those human traditions you told us about."

"Crane and Viper especially like the mistletoe one," Mantis laughed, giving Monkey a fist bump in the process.

"Oh hardy-har-har, guys," sarcasm dripped from Crane's beak. "Why don't you tie some to your head and see how far that gets you."

"Don't need to," Mantis retorted, jumping to the center of the table and rotating his miniscule abdomen in a circle. "I can steal hearts with looks that are _all nat-u-ral_."

The table erupted into a cacophony of laughter at Mantis' display, Monkey going so far as to almost spilling his bowl of soup all over himself.

Crane spoke in-between laughs "I'm pretty sure Aden is the only one who could steal hearts that easily."

Aden coughed up his last spoonful of soup. "I could do _what_ now?"

"Don't try and play dumb," Po batted a paw in Aden's direction. "We all saw you flirting with that lioness at your party a month ago."

"She's cute, too," Monkey gave a thumbs up.

"First of all,_ she _was flirting with _me_," Aden punctuated. "And second, I don't know if you guys forgot, but I'm a human."

The males tossed each other confused expressions before glancing back at Aden.

"So what?" Po questioned.

"_So what?_" Aden repeated incredulously. "How would that even work?"

"Well, typically," Mantis chimed in. "It starts with a date, then maybe a kiss. And, if you're _really lucky_, you'll get to-"

"You know what I mean," Aden folded his arms, a crimson glow appearing on his cheeks.

"Uh, Aden, I don't know if _you_ forgot," Crane emphasized. "But, I'm dating a snake."

"Yeah, but... You.. Uh… Well that's… I mean…" Aden tripped over each word as his face ripened like a tomato.

The remaining warriors shot each other knowing glances and chuckled at his struggle to argue. Aden finally accepted defeat and remained quiet as the sound of slurping overtook the room. Minutes passed before Aden finally spoke again.

"Gah!" He exclaimed getting up from his chair. "I have some shit to think about."

The room was enveloped by laughter once more as Aden made an exit.

"Don't think too hard, or you might hurt yourself!" Mantis shouted back.

The human shook his head, ambling down the hall towards the nearest exit, away from the round of laughter at his expense. Pushing the door open, he was whipped with the rush of cold air. Luckily, he had mentioned months ago that humans don't have a natural adaptation to protect against the cold, so he was already well prepared with some cosy wool clothing. On top of that, the villagers who fashioned the garments were very resistant to receive any payment from him, so his wardrobe size kept growing while his wallet remained the same..

He stepped out and felt the crunch of fresh snow being compacted under his feet, while the winter sun hung lazily in the sky. Making his way over to the Sacred Peach Tree, Aden slowly breathed in the odorless atmosphere. It was calming for him. This was his first winter in the new world, and the season couldn't have reminded him more of the unforgiving Wisconsin weather.

He plopped down on the snowy cliff and leaned back against the trunk of the barren fruit tree. His mind sifted through the tangled mess of emotions from the recent breakfast discussion.

'It'd be too weird, right?" He asked himself aloud. "_Right?_"

A grunt escaped his lips as his head thunked against the tree's thick waist. Closing his eyes, he repeatedly tapped the trunk with the back of his skull hoping some sense would be knocked into him, but nothing came.

"Are you attempting to give yourself a headache?"

Aden momentarily stopped pounding to find Tigress waiting at the top of the white blanketed steps.

"Maybe," Aden chuckled. "You want to try?"

"I think I'll meditate instead," she giggled back.

Taking a seat, she leaned her back against the opposite end of the trunk. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, her mind drifting to a blank canvas where her mind could find serenity in nothingness.

"Hey Tigress," Aden spoke. "Have you ever been in love?"

Tigress' eyes popped open. "I believe I love all my fellow warriors and people of the valley."

"No, not like that. Like, have you ever thought about starting a family with someone?"

Tigress hesitated briefly. "I… hadn't thought about it, no."

"Well, do you think you'll ever want one?"

Tigress sat quietly mulling over how to respond, but with every passing moment no words came to her. Luckily, Aden gave her an easy out by responding to his own question.

"I know I want one," he sighed, thunking his head once more against the trunk. "I just… Don't know how I could ever have one. Crane and Viper are proof that love comes in all shapes and sizes in this world. But, I'm not from this world. I just occupy it."

Tigress turned to face Aden and softened her gaze. His eyes remained closed, but she could see the frustration in the way his eyelids twitched. She desperately wanted to comfort him, but she didn't know how, which irritated her beyond belief. She's helped him a thousand times before on everything from physical pain to emotional discomfort, so this was nothing. But this time, she had nothing to say, and she couldn't for the life of her figure out why.

Suddenly, Aden lifted his hand and stretched it over and rest on Tigress' idle paw. He gave it a friendly squeeze and opened his eyes to meet hers.

"I'm sorry to bug you about this," he exhaled, chuckling lightly under his breath. "I know you're not my therapist, but I do appreciate the discounted sessions."

Tigress' expression of console developed into a smirk. "I believe you are quite far behind on your payments, then."

Aden gave a deep laugh and turned his entire body to face her. "Look at you! Cracking witty comebacks like a pro! I wonder what else of mine has rubbed off on you?"

"I hope none of your strange _human _germs did," She pulled away her paw in fake disgust.

"Hey! That's not very nice." He pouted sardonically before a wicked smile took its place. "Maybe you're just saying that cause you don't want me to know how much you actually want this."

Aden gestured to himself and tossed Tigress a playful wink. However, something about that wink felt different to her. Never has a wink made her face feel flush.

Then, for whatever reason, her heart began to race, and almost instinctively she leaned her body towards his. "Maybe... you're-"

"Hey, guys!" The voice of Po stopped Tigress in her tracks. "What are you doing all the way up here? We're heading down to my dad's in a few minutes, so you better pack your snacks now or you're not going to eat until we get there."

Aden and Tigress stared blankly at Po for a moment before slowly turning their heads to face each other. Then, the snickering started.

"Alright, Po," Aden said between laughs. "We'll be right behind you."

"Awesome!" Po exclaimed with two thumbs up trailing behind him as he walked down the steps.

Tigress was the first to rise from the ground and extended a paw paired with a warm smile. Aden happily returned both.

The walk down to the village was like any other except delayed by 15 minutes from the snow. Trudging through the white blanket standing a foot off the ground was nothing short of an average winter's day back where Aden came from. All members of the Jade Palace chatted amongst one another, as they neared the glowing light emanating from Mr. Ping's Noodle Shop.

The group entered the doorway to find Po's goose of a father precariously standing upon wooden ladder hanging the last few paper lanterns. Upon seeing them enter, Mr. Ping's eyes lit up like the candles bathing the room in light.

"Po! Friends! Welcome!" He exclaimed atop the wobbly ladder. "I was just finishing up- Wah!"

Suddenly, the webbed footed waterfowl teetered a bit too much and slipped from his perch.

"Dad!" Po shouted, sliding into action.

Po aligned his body perfectly under his father as he fell. The goose landed with a thud sending a soft ripple across the panda's stomach.

"Phew! I knew overfeeding you would save my life someday!" Mr. Ping exclaimed sliding off the mountainous belly.

The room shared a laugh and the holiday greetings began. Po's father made his way around the room welcoming the Jade Palace residence making sure to give Aden an extra mirthful shake with both of his feathered hands.

"Master Aden, I'm so glad you could join us this year! And…" The goose motioned for Aden to lean in and whispered the rest. "I don't do this for just anyone, but I'm giving you a 'buy one get one free' coupon on all noodle combo meals for the day."

"Wow, that is _too _generous of you, Mr. Ping." Aden chuckled. "Also, it's just Aden right now. I'm not a master yet."

"Oh, nonsense. Anybody who saves all my loyal customers from an ugly maniac has earned it my book!"

Aden blushed in response.

"Oh, would you mind putting these up for me?" Mr. Ping waddled over to a table and handed Aden a crate filled with various green and red shapes. "Po asked me to have decorations made to help you feel more at home. Think of it as what you'd call a 'christmas gift' for this year… And next!"

Aden balanced the crate in one arm while sifting through the box of nostalgia with wide eyes. Tinsel, ornaments, garland, and stockings rolled about the box with his handing guiding the path. Everything in there only bared a small resemblance to the items from his past, but Aden knew exactly what all of them were. From the wooden balls with hooks painted an array of colors to the socks soaked in red ink, Aden's smile grew wider the longer he stared.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Aden set the crate down and snatched the startled goose up in a tight hug.

"This is incredible!" He squeezed. Thank you!"

"Awww, of course, Aden," Mr. Ping cooed. "Now, put me down and start putting these up! Guests will be arriving in less than an hour!"

Aden laughed and released the restaurant owner.

"Guys!" Aden called out to his friends. "Come help me set these up."

The others quickly made their way over to Aden and ogled the crate of goodies.

"Oh, sweet!" Po grabbed a long strand of makeshift garland from the box. "Dad actually came through on this!"

"And, he couldn't have been more spot on," Aden replied, patting Po on the back. "Thanks for doing this for me. It has to be one of the greatest Christmas gifts I've ever received."

Po chuckled and began walking away with a handful of decorations. "Oh, this isn't your present…"

Aden cocked an eyebrow at his response but was quickly interrupted by Viper before he could question it.

"Ooo, these are stockings, right?" She asked, dangling the red socks by her tail.

"Yep!" he jubilantly replied. "As a young kid, we were told to hang these, so a fat guy dressed in a red and white suit would sneak into our home and leave candy in them!"

"So, it's like breaking and entering, but they leave stuff instead of take it?" Mantis cocked his head at Aden. "Human traditions are weird, man."

Monkey chuckled at Mantis and grabbed a few items from the crate. "I still can't get over the 'egg laying bunny' one."

Aden grinned and sarcastically rolled his eyes while shuffling through the decorations once more. His hand stopped when it felt a clump of small leaves brush against it. Pulling the item from the wooden container, Aden let out a tired sigh. Homemade mistletoe hung between his fingers, and his mind grew increasingly frustrated as he fiddled with it.

"Still don't know what to think, huh?"

Aden looked over his shoulder at Crane.

"Yeah…" Aden sighed again.

"I honestly don't blame you," Crane consoled. "Interspecies dating is so ingrained in our culture that I've never thought anything of it. I can see why it might be a bit weird for you."

"Does that make me a racis-... uh… Specist?"

Crane laughed wholesomely. "I wouldn't say that. I think you just prefer human women. Though, you might need to adjust that mindset a little if you still plan to find _someone_ someday."

Aden huffed in response to which Crane planted his feet and forced him to make eye contact.

"Alright, you've given me a few pep talks before, so I think it's about time I return the favor. Stop stressing yourself out about this, Aden. You encouraged me to ask out Viper without hesitation. You saw right away that my heart wasn't set on my own species. I know you're not judgemental about dating other species, but I understand you're nervous. There's nothing wrong with that, though. A great friend once told me: 'You're overthinking it. Start small.'"

Aden looked Crane over like it was the first time meeting him. The human held a neutral expression while opening and closing his mouth repeatedly, as if he was going to say something but decided not to. Finally, Aden released a final sigh that could've expelled the frustration deep within his bones.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Crane?" Aden grinned slyly. "Thanks, man."

"Anytime," Crane chuckled. "By the way, I recommend maybe starting with a date."

"A date…" Aden repeated walking over to the noodle shop's front counter, the mistletoe still dangling between his fingers.

He looked up at the stockings that hung in a line from the top board of the ordering window. Removing the center sock, Aden gently placed the clump of mistletoe on the temporary nail that previously held the stocking in place. He took a step back to appreciate the symmetrical layout.

"A date would be nice," he smiled.

A high pitched squeal suddenly rang from the restaurant entrance. Aden quickly turned to find Po dancing like little girl, both of his paws covering his mouth.

"Master Croc! Master Storming Ox!" Po squeaked. "Protectors of Gongman City and two of the greatest Kung Fu Masters of all time standing mere feet in front of me!"

Master Storming Ox shook his head at the panda's outburst. "Dragon Warrior, we attend this celebration every year. There's no need for you to announce our presence like an official gathering."

"I _know,_" Po emphasized."But, you're just too cool not too!"

Slowly but surely, the noodle shop began to grow crowded with Kung Fu Masters, friends, and family from all over China. Aden was introduced and spoke quickly with as many people as he could, but the conversation never lasted more than 10 minutes, as he was pulled away to meet the next individual. He shared a starstruck gaze with Po as he met each new master, them briefly giving their life's accomplishments, and some even congratulated Aden for his heroic actions. With so many new faces, it was beyond difficult for Aden to remember everyone's name, but the impact that each story had on him he would never be able to forget.

An hour had passed since the arrival of most of the guests when a certain asian golden cat passed through the entrance.

"Mei Ling!" Crane exclaimed, rapidly flying up and wrapping her in a tight hug. "I'm so glad you could make it."

"Thanks for inviting me," she hugged back. "Sorry I'm a bit late, though."

"Oh, no need to apologize. Please, come in and join the celebration. I have somebody I'd like you to meet." Crane glanced around the room until he found his target. " Aden!"

The human peeked over his shoulder from where he was standing to see Crane waving him down. He noticed the feline standing next to him, smiled, and made his way to them.

"Aden, I'd like you to meet Mei Ling," Crane introduced. "She's the current senior master at the Lee Da Kung Fu Academy and the reason I started training in the first place. I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for her."

"Ah, so you're the heroic new creature I've heard about," Mei Ling shook his hand. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise," Aden returned. "Thanks for pushing Crane to become a professional 'butt kicker'. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have this goofball around."

Mei Ling giggled at a now blushing Crane. "Of course. You should've seen how nervous and awkward he was back then."

"_Oooookay_," Crane placed his wings on Aden's back and began pushing him away. "That's enough teasing from you two."

"Awww," Aden fake whined. "But, I want to hear funny Crane stories!"

Mei Ling giggled more. "Don't worry. I'll make sure to tell you all the details before the end of the night."

Aden chuckled back and tossed her a thumbs up as he was whisked away to his next introduction. Mei then turned her attention to another feline in the room.

"Master Tigress," she approached her.

"Master Mei Ling," Tigress returned a small nod and faced her.

Tigress extended her paw and Mei Ling shook it earnestly. They stared at each other momentarily with paws clasped before they both grinned widely, laughed, and wrapped each other in warm hugs.

"No more formalities, please," Mei Laughed. "How have you been, sister?"

"Though we aren't related by blood, I'm honored to receive that title from you," Tigress and Mei Ling released each other. "I'm well, thank you. I hope the same is for you?"

"I could be better, but I'm glad I have some time to relax during the holidays. There's just been such an influx of new students at the academy, so I've been a bit overworked. I see the Jade Palace has had a rather _unique _addition as well."

Tigress glanced over at Aden chatting with Master Antelope, a smile plastered to her face. "He's been the most wonderful addition to our team."

"Is he that good a fighter?"

"He's _alright..._ But, he's much more than that. He's sacrificed himself in a world that isn't his own, brought our team closer together than I ever thought possible, and plays the most beautiful music."

"A hero and musician? Impressive. He sounds pretty cool."

"Cool as ice."

Mei Ling didn't reply right away. Here face was frozen with a bemused look, as if she'd forgotten who she was talking to.

"What did you just say?"

"I apologize, it's a phrase Aden's used before. He has quite the array of expressions."

"Is that so?" Mei Ling's eyes brightened with fascination. "It seems like he's had quite an impact on you."

"It's strange. Ever since he mysteriously showed up here, I've grown… _calm_. As if my world has eased from its hazed state, and I can clearly see the road ahead of me."

The golden cat's interest had peaked. For the entire time that she's known Tigress, she had never once heard her speak so openly. Sure, Po had chipped away at her tough exterior and opened her mind to deepening friendships. But, a mere _friend _doesn't have this kind of change one someone.

"And, do you know where that road leads?" Mei Ling's smirk grew with each passing second.

"No... But, I'm excited to follow it."

Mei Ling suddenly burst out laughing much to Tigress' chagrin. The tiger's annoyed scowl bore deep into the golden cat's jubilant chuckles.

"I'm so sorry for that." Mei Ling wiped a tear as her chuckles died out. "I have no intention of insulting you. In fact, I'm ecstatic for you!"

Tigress' glare eased into confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I never thought I'd see the day."

"The day when _what_?" Annoyance crept back into Tigress' voice.

"You have a crush on someone!"

Tigress didn't react. To be more precise, Tigress didn't know _how _to react. A look of surprise was plastered to her cheeks, and her typical quick reaction time had vanished. Her heart pumped in her chest that flashed her back to this morning. Once the words finally came to her, she found herself face to face with her friend's smug expression.

"That's a completely _absurd _notion. What brought you to that conclusion?" Tigress stated as neutrally as she could muster.

"Oh, you know. Feline instinct." She winked back.

"Well, I'm afraid you're Feline instinct is way out of calibration. The bond we share is purely platonic, which bolsters our group's strength as protectors of the valley." Tigress vainly defended.

Mei Ling rolled her eyes at Tigress, the use of another one of presumably Aden's expressions only reaffirming her accusation.

Suddenly, a mischievous idea popped into her head. "I guess you're right."

Tigress folder her arms and smirked triumphantly in response.

"Good thing too," Mei continued, a devious smile working its way onto her face. "I think he's pretty cute myself. I wouldn't mind a date and maybe a serenade from him."

Once again, Tigress wasn't sure how to respond. Unfortunately for her, her body decided to react before she could find the words this time. The smirk she previously held was wiped off her face in an instant, and the beating in her chest grew so loud she became nervous the other holiday patrons might hear. Every last hair on her body stood on end, and a low growl involuntarily rose from her throat. She opened her mouth to respond, but every word would've been futile. The jealousy pouring from her eyes had solidified the truth.

The golden cat simply giggled and whispered in a sing-songy voice "_Got-cha!_"

Tigress's surprise turned to frustration and she stomped away in defeat, much to Mei Ling's amusement. She glanced over at Aden to see if he had heard, but found him across the room preoccupied in a conversation with the two masters of Gongman City.

"That's incredible!" Aden admired. "I can't believe you two went from lowly street fighters looking to make some quick coin all the way to Masters of the Kung Fu Council!"

"It wasn't an easy journey," Master Storming Ox returned. "But, it was an important one."

"We probably would still be fighting for chump change to this day if it wasn't for Oogway." Master Croc added.

"Honestly, I don't know what kind of person I'd be today if I'd never spoken to him either."

Master Ox and Croc exchanged confused glances before Ox spoke up. "Master Oogway died years ago. You couldn't have met him."

"That's true," Aden chuckled. "I guess I never met the _real _Master Oogway. He came to me as a spirit instead; Freaked me out at first, I'm not going to lie. But, if it wasn't for him, I'd still be sulking in a lonely room of the Jade Palace."

"You must be pretty special then, huh?" Master Croc pointed out. "That crazy turtle doesn't travel back from the spirit realm for just anybody."

Aden stammered slightly and momentarily avoided eye contact. "Oh, I don't know about that. You guys save lives every day."

"Well, I do, at least." The ox laughed and winked at Aden.

Master Croc rolled his eyes. "Here we go again…"

"It was a joke, Croc." Master Ox returned plainly.

"We've talked about this. Jokes are supposed to be funny…"

"It's not my fault you don't have a sense of humor."

An uncomfortable feeling grew in Aden's chest as the 2 large animals began to bicker like a married couple, which seemingly manifested out of thin air.

"H-hey, it's cool g-guys," Aden awkwardly interjected. "No need to argue."

"I _have _a sense of humor. I'm just tired of the disrespect!" Master Croc ignored Aden.

Ox briefly faced Aden. "Aden, please give us space. We'll work this out ourselves. It was a pleasure meeting you."

"Don't ignore me!" Croc gripped Ox's shoulder.

Aden quickly shuffled backwards as the Crocodiles tirade was let loose.

"Yeesh," Aden muttered as he ambled towards the kitchen.

"Tell me about it," Po appeared beside him. "This is early for them too."

"What do you mean?" Aden's raised his brow.

"Those two argue at this party every year. And I mean _every year_. They're bodacious kung fu fighter but also a bit whiny..."

Aden laughed as they passed through the kitchen door, the sound of his friends' voices quickly reaching their ears. Monkey, Mantis, Viper, and Crane sat in a circle around a mess of tiles while Tigress watched. Surprisingly, the kitchen was fairly quiet considering the massive serving window was the only thing separating them from the rest of the party goers.

"Mahjong!" Viper sprung from her spot after placing her last tile. "I won again!"

"This game's rigged..." Mantis grumbled.

"Perfect timing, too." Crane added. "Aden's here."

"I'll go get it," Monkey scurried off to the backroom.

"What's he getting?" Aden questioned.

"You'll see!" Po sang.

Monkey emerged a few moments later with a long box wrapped in a simple white paper.

"Merry Christmas!" They shouted in unison.

Aden's face immediately brightened with surprise. "Did you guys actually get me a christmas present?"

"No, it's just a box Monkey likes to carry around," Mantis drooled sarcasm. "Open it already!"

Aden collected the box from Monkey and immediately noticed the weight. He began peeling away at the thin white sheets to reveal the sanded lid of whatever contained his gift. Setting the box on the ground, he lifted the top to reveal the wooden body of one of the most beautiful instruments he'd ever seen. It looked nothing like a traditional guitar, but Aden was baffled at the immense craftsmanship of the item. The light brown body cast small streams of light bouncing off the walls, as if a reflective varnish had been used on it. The neck was firmly mounted, well aligned, and each fret was perfectly spaced. The headstock glowed with the same color as the body, his thumb grazing over it, which revealed indentations that hadn't noticed at first. Removing his hand, his eyes welled up at the etched signatures of his beloved animal family.

"I-I can't believe this," Aden choked out. "It's beautiful."

"And expensive…" Mantis muttered, who received a sharp jab from Monkey.

Aden chuckled at Mantis' comment, as he wiped away the first batch of tears streaming down his cheeks. "This is the most incredible gift I've ever received. Thank you."

Po shuffled over and wrapped Aden in a tight hug. "It's well deserved, bud."

The rest of the group passed around an abundance of heartwarming smiles before joining Po, nearly strangling Aden with love.

"So..." Mantis spoke up. "About our gifts…"

"You _really _need to keep that mouth of yours closed, Mantis," Crane exasperatedly sighed.

Aden laughed and wiped the last remaining tears from his face, the crowd surrounding him slowly allowing him room to breathe. "No, he's right. It wouldn't be fair if I left you all empty handed."

Monkey and Mantis' faces brightened like a lightbulb upon hearing that.

"I'm glad you guys didn't decide to rummage around in here." Aden quickly made his way over to a cupboard in the far back corner of the room. "Your dad told me this would be the safest place to hide them."

Sliding the wooden door open, Aden revealed a small crate resting at the bottom of the cupboard. Grabbing the container caused a the sound of items clattering around inside to be heard. He then moved back to the center of the room and sat down, letting the box rest on his lap, his friends quickly gathered around.

"Alright, for you Monkey," Aden reached his hand in and pulled out a book. "I got you something to spice up your routine."

The primate collected the novel and scanned the cover, a smile slowly emerging on his face.

"1001 Dirty Jokes for all Animals!" He laughed. "No one is safe now."

"Mantis," Aden continued, flipping a coin-like object over to him. "I hope you like booze."

"Is that even a question?" He replied, barely catching it. "Woah! This is an All You Can Drink token for Huan's bar, and it's good for an entire week! How did you get this?"

"He gave it to me," Aden smiled. "But, I thought you'd appreciate it more than me."

"You got that right!"

Aden winked in response and turned to face Crane and Viper. "Now for the happy couple, I decided to kill 2 bir… I mean, combine your gifts into a single one."

Aden mentally patted himself on the back for not finishing the idiom, as he pulled out a single sheet of paper and handed it to Crane. "How does a romantic dinner at Qīngwā sound? Prepaid by yours truly."

"This place is usually booked for months!" Viper slithered up Crane to get a good look at the document. "That's incredibly thoughtful of you!"

"Yeah," Crane agreed, eyes locking with Vipers. "Thank you."

Aden nodded happily and dug into the crate once more. "Po, yours was not easy to find, but I think I got you something pretty special."

His arm raised from the box's edge to reveal a tiny version of Po.

"A Po doll?" Mantis questioned.

The room was suddenly engulfed in the loudest and longest gasp any of them had ever heard. Po's arm shot out and ripped the toy from Aden's hand faster than he could register.

"Is this the limited edition Dragon Warrior action figure with extreme power stance mode and exclusive chop action?!" Po shouted, pulling a small cord on the back of the toy.

Very slowly the action figure's arm raised above its head, hesitated for a few seconds, then lazily dropped back down to its side. The panda let out a 'squee' so high pitched that Monkey had to cover his ears.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Po jumped up and down like a child. "This is the perfect addition to my collection!"

"You're all very welcome." Aden smiled, turning towards Tigress. "And last but not least, _you_."

Tigress smiled and took a step towards Aden, but he didn't reach his hand back into the crate. Instead, he gently laid it by his feet allowing Tigress to see its barren interior. Her smile faltered slightly, but Aden's never lost its glow.

"You're impossible to shop for," Aden commented, crossing his arms. "So, I decided not to buy you anything."

Tigress simply stared, while the rest of the room exchanged confused glances.

"And, _instead,_" Aden stood up and reached for his newly acquired gift. "I'm going to play you something."

Tigress' eyes immediately lit up like a christmas tree, her smile snapping back into place. She slowly lowered herself to the ground and awaited her performance, refusing to break eye contact with him. The rest of the gang followed suit while Aden tuned the guitar. A gentle cough escaped his lips when he was ready.

"Tigress," the words came out almost timidly. "Thanks for being my best friend in the _literal _universe."

Her eyes beamed with joy as he strummed the first chord and let it ring.

"_I don't want a lot for christmas…"_

He struck the second chord, taking liberties with his lyrical timing.

"_There is just one thing I need…"_

The third chord rang, spinning theatrically before singing the third line.

"_I don't care about the presents..._

He increased in volume as he ended the phrase, making his way slowly towards the audience.

_Underneath the Christmas tree…."_

His strumming began to accent every other beat, his eyes gazing around the room at each of his friends.

"_I just want you for my own._

_More than you could ever know._

_Make my wish come true…"_

His eyes slowly made their way back to Tigress, a radiant smile blooming on his cheeks.

_All I want for Christmas is you."_

There was a brief pause before his strumming gained a rhythmic intensity that shook the room with excitement. Suddenly, the Kung Fu warriors grew wide eyed at the spikes of yellow that peeked their heads out from the sound hole. All the Kung Fu warriors except Tigress that is. She was too busy dreamily staring at Aden's lively expressions.

"_I don't want a lot for Christmas._

_There is just one thing I need, and I_

_don't care about the presents_

_Underneath the Christmas tree._

_I don't need to hang my stocking_

_there upon the fireplace._

_Santa Claus won't make me happy_

_With a toy on Christmas day."_

Aden's eyes were tightly shut at this point, as he let the music take over his body. The yellow beams had already began probing the room, circumventing each person and leaving a trail of shimmering light in its wake. His small crowd "ooo'd" and "aah'd" at the magical sight, except again for Tigress who was completely lost in thought.

_He's incredible. _She thought to herself, leaning her cheek on her right fist. _I've never met somebody like this before. A fighter with a heart of gold, a phenomenal ally, and an unbelievable friend... Friend… He's a friend. Nothing more. Mei Ling was mad to suggest that I have an immature 'crush' on him. We're warriors and have no time for such nonsense._

The beams of light had now showered the room in a sun-like shine and had begun filtering their way out of the serving window unbeknownst to everyone in the room.

"_I just want you for my own._

_More than you could ever know._

_Make my wish come true._

_All I want for Christmas is you."_

Another wave of golden streams shot out of the instrument as he finished the chorus and started to wrap themselves around the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior.

_He's my friend. He's_ _my great friend. _Tigress internally repeated. _He's my very talented, kind, and trustworthy friend. He's my extremely handsome friend… There's nothing wrong with thinking that. He's attractive. So what? That doesn't imply anything. I simply enjoy being close to him. Sharing our thoughts, feelings, and desires with one another. Maybe even letting his soft hands gently pet my fur while I rest my head on his chest and listen to his heart beat. You know, normal friend stuff._

Minutes passed and Aden had sang his heart out, the song nearing its climax. The ropes of yellow light had wrapped their way up the length of each warriors body, but nobody seemed to care about themselves. They were all too awestruck at the sight of Aden and Tigress. Both were completely engulfed in light to the point that it was almost difficult to look at them. There were beams connecting their bodies, almost as if they were being pulled towards one another.

"_I don't want a lot for Christmas._

_This is all I'm asking for._

_I just wanna see my baby_

_Standing right outside my door."_

Aden's eyes slowly raised and were magnetically drawn to Tigress'. Their hearts began to beat intensely and nearly in sync.

"_I just want you for my own"_

_I don't have a crush on him. _Tigress told herself.

Aden's strumming began to slow along with the pace of his vocals.

"_More than you could ever know."_

_I DON'T have a crush on him. _She tried repeating.

His strumming turned to accenting every other beat.

"_Make my wish come true."_

_I DON'T like him. _She shouted internally.

Aden strummed a single chord and sang each word while gazing deeply into Tigress' soul.

"_Baby all I want for Christmas…"_

Tigress' heart skipped a beat, a feeling she had never experienced before. And in that split second that her heart had misfired, it had taken over her mind.

_I don't like him…_

"_Is you…"_

_I love him._

Then in a flash, the room shook with a shockwave of immense proportions. light permeated through every nook and cranny, bathing everything in an extraordinary blanket of gold. 15 seconds had passed before the magical aura began to fade back into the natural candle light. The silence leftover was so thick the flicker of the candle wick could be heard. Aden and Tigress had never broken eye contact. Their faces held an almost neutral expression, but their eyes were engrossed in each others with an unparalleled intensity.

Suddenly, an eruption of cheering could be heard from beyond the serving window, breaking Aden and Tigress from their spell. Aden turned his body towards the door and gradually pushed it open to reveal the entire restaurant shouting his name and whistling in his direction. Aden was dumbstruck at the sight and didn't react, his eyes moved left and right scanning each person he'd met tonight clapping for his performance.

"Master Aden!" The booming voice of Master Storming Ox startled Aden from his stupor. "That was fantastic! I didn't know you could harness that kind of magic."

"Ah, well, thanks. I still don't particularly understand it either." Aden rubbed his neck uncomfortably. "Still not a master, by the way."

"With that kind of ability?" Master Croc walked up and wrapped an arm around Ox's shoulder. "You're far beyond master!"

Even though Aden had played musical shows before, he was still not used to the praise of Kung Fu masters and made a quick attempt to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"Ugh, thanks again... It's nice to see you both made up from before."

"Oh, yeah," Master Croc acknowledged. "I don't even remember what we were arguing about in the first place."

"Same here," Master Ox agreed. "Why bother arguing when you have the best Kung Fu ally in the entire nation. Come on, let's get ourselves something to eat, brother."

The two of them turned around and gave Aden a quick wave goodbye, a yellow spark briefly flashing from both of their fingers and connecting to one another. Aden raised a brow at the sight.

"Ahem…" The voice of a familiar chubby panda came from behind him.

Aden turned back around to find his private audience full of smiles and all of them clapping lightly except for Tigress, who stood completely still at the front of the group. Her arms remained by her side while she stared him down, an abnormal expression that held equal parts bashfulness and conflict rested on her cheeks. The corners of Aden's mouth raised into a comforting smile, and she slowly returned the same.

Before Aden could speak, Tigress launched herself into Aden's chest and wrapped him in a suffocating hug, a purring sensation reverberating throughout his body.

"Thank you," Tigress quietly spoke, her head nuzzled under his chin. "Not just for the gift. For _everything_."

Aden chuckled and trapped her in an equally suffocating hug. "I should say the same for you."

They steadily pulled back just enough so their eyes could meet, the feeling of each other's hot breath dancing on their lips.

"Aden…" Tigress whispered, a small shakiness to her voice making itself present. "I think I..."

"Help!" A small cry echoed from the noodle shop entrance. "Please, somebody help!"

The crowd that was was previously entranced in holiday festivities had now turned their attention to the doorway to find a horrified female rabbit.

"The Jackals!" She squeaked. "They're back!"

* * *

**Howdy partners! Fancy seeing y'all round here ;)**

**Thank you to everyone who's been patiently waiting for me to update. As I said previously, I'm unable to guarantee an upload schedule, and since chapter 9 my life has gone bananas. Loads of traveling and work needing to be done that take precedence over this story.**

**With that being said, I wasn't lying when I said I WILL finish this story. I've been working on this chapter for almost 2 months now, writing and rewriting parts to make sure it's done right,. On top of that, every time I traveled or work got busy I had to look over everything again to make sure I didn't fuck up the continuity. This chapter is especially important for few reasons, so I had no interest in doing a half-assed job just so I got release it soo****ner.**

**Thank you again to everyone who's continued to support my work, and don't forget to favorite and review or else I might have to grief your Minecraft home.**

**Love,**

**Dad**


	11. Chapter 11

"They're everywhere!" The cream colored rabbit cried. "They came out of darkness, and I was so scared, and I… and-"

"It's ok, ma'am," Master Thundering Rhino consoled, attempting to kneel down to her level but still dwarfing her. "You can relax. We'll handle it from here."

She nodded in response, and Rhino confidently turned his body towards the rest of the party goers. "Those who can fight, I need you front and center."

Without missing a beat, the Furious Five, Po, Aden, Mei Ling, and the rest of the Kung Fu warriors in attendance strided towards Master Rhino.

"We'll gain control of the situation quicker if we split up into groups," Master Rhino announced. "I want three even squads: one at the northern end of the village, one at the south, and the rest should maintain control in the center. Ensure all civilians are safe before engaging."

The group of fighters nodded in agreement.

"You six," Master Rhino continued, gesturing to Master Antelope, Master Wolf, and a few others. "Take the north. All those from the Jade Palace, take center city. The rest of you follow me to the south end."

"Yes, Master Rhino!" The group returned in unison. The rhino nodded approvingly, and the squads bounded out of the restaurant.

As the Jade Palace entourage neared the village center, the sound of commotion grew in intensity. The group slid through the last alley before the cobblestone path lining of the main road came into sight. When all of a sudden, the slender figure of a jackal quickly darted out from one of the homes. Po lunged at it's small frame but fell short and landed flat on his stomach. The Jackal cackled like a witch and dashed into the main clearing.

"Oof, sorry guys," Po apologized, picking himself up off the ground and dusting his tattered shorts off. "Looks like I missed one."

"I don't think it's _one _we need to be worried about…" Crane responded flatly.

Po looked over to see the group standing at the end of the alley, gazing out into the main boulevard. As the panda approached, his draw dropped at the utter chaos in front of them. Jackals were absolutely everywhere. The pattern to their movement was impossible to trace as each one darted in a different direction.

Aden scratched the back of his head. "What kind of attack is this?"

"It's chaos," Monkey replied plainly.

"It's too hard to catch them when they keep moving in random directions," Viper added.

"Not with my lightning feet!" Po exclaimed before lunging at another jackal only to faceplant once more.

"What do we do, then?" Mantis questioned, chuckling under his breath at Po.

"Split up," Tigress directed. "I'm certain the other teams have already done the same thing. Two people per group. Same plan as before: ensure the safety of the villagers before rounding up the jackals. Mantis and Monkey, Viper and Crane, Aden and I, and Po… I trust that you can handle yourself."

The group gave a resounding nod and quickly broke off into their respective groups. A thumbs up gradually raised from Po's furry arm, his face still buried in soil.

Aden and Tigress darted towards the south end of the boulevard, their eyes seeking out distressed villagers like a hawk. They swept through homes with lightning speed, making sure families were safe while subduing the occasional jackal or two. Tigress studied Aden's movements intensely as they passed through each domicile, but not for his technique or skill. She marveled at his movements in a way she'd never appreciated a Kung Fu warrior before. He looked over at her, and her body tensed up uncharacteristically so.

_Is he watching me as well_? She pondered. _Why does he look so scared and confused, then?_

"Tigress!" Aden screeched. "On your left!"

Like the snap of a twig, Tigress had reentered combat mode. Her body instinctively lowered to the floor as the sharp prick of a spear grazed her upper back. A swift sweep of her leg followed by a heavy palm to the chest and the jackal had been successfully subdued. Aden quickly rushed to her side, kicking the spear out of reach of the dazed jackal.

"Tigress!" Aden ran his hand down her back to check for injuries, while she used every fiber in her body to not react to his touch. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she bluntly replied.

"What happened? You looked like you were in a trance."

"I… was distracted."

Aden smirked and chuckled. "Distracted? You? Come on…"

A copy of his smile appeared on her face, but it didn't last for long. Her mind was rapidly analyzing what he just said. She _was _distracted, and that _is_ extremely out of character for her. It was dangerous territory as well. A preoccupied mind would not only only endanger herself and her friends, but also the rest of the village.

Aden quickly caught sight of her developing frown and moved closer. "Hey, what's up? I just don't want you getting hurt."

Tigress locked eyes with him, re-entering a bewitched state once more. "I'm nervous…"

"Ok, now I _know_ this isn't the real Tigress. That badass isn't nervous about anything," he winked.

A smile flickered on her lips before taking a deep breath. "Aden, I think I-"

"Help!" A frightened woman bellowed. "Somebody please help me!"

Aden and Tigress immediately sprung into action, a silent and mutual agreement to put their conversation on hold. They raced in the direction the cry came from, attempting to isolate the sound from the madness occurring outside.

"I'm upstairs! Please, hurry!" The voice called out again.

As the tiger and human pair dashed for the stairway, two jackals swung around the corner, their legs aimed for Tigress' neck. She quickly deflected both but didn't see the third jackal sneak up and tackle her to the ground from behind.

"Tigress!" Aden rushed to her aid but was quickly knocked back into the bannister by a powerful kick from the two hind legs of one jackal.

"Just go!" Tigress yelled back, hurling the third jackal into a nearby wall as she continued to fend off the other two. "We'll regroup later. Make sure the villagers are safe."

Aden hesitantly nodded before rushing up the stairs. The sounds of chaos outside dwindled as he reached the top. The home seemed relatively untouched with the exception of a few scrolls and toys strewn across the floors of various bedrooms.

"Hello?" Aden called out.

"In here!" The voice returned from the quiet open room at the end of the hall.

His body flew past the door's threshold at the first sound of her voice. He readied his stance for battle but found himself in a near empty room. The bed and armoire were dressed with brilliantly colored fabrics, and the walls were painted with an elegantly simple white.

A light sobbing rose from behind the bed, and Aden quickly moved towards it. A familiar female lioness came into view curled up and shaking in fear.

"Liu?" Aden kneeled down to check whether she was seriously injured or not. "Are you alright?"

The lioness peeked her teary eyes over that instantly turned to ones of relief. She lunged at him, wrapped him in a tight hug, and toppled his body over with her momentum.

"Thank you, Master Aden!" She cried happily. "I was so nervous nobody was coming for me!"

"Shh, it's ok," he consoled. "Are you hurt?"

She slowly raised her body off of him. "No, thankfully."

Aden sat up and pulled himself out from under her, which she gave resistance to.

"I'm glad you're ok, but we need to get you someplace safe. Please, come with me."

He stood up, she reached out and grabbed his hand, and they made their way towards the stairway. He stopped briefly at the top and quickly peeked downstairs, but neither Tigress nor the jackals could be found. An eerie silence bounced around the room.

They dashed outside, Liu tightly holding onto Aden's arm. He looked around for the safest exit for Liu, but it seems she had other plans.

"Come this way," she yanked on his arm. "I know where to go."

"Liu, wait up!" Aden tried to stop her. "I don't know if that way is clear yet!"

"It'll be fine! Just follow!"

Aden tried to stop her again, but she had already taken off down a nearby alleyway pulling him in tow. She methodically led him through the twists and turns of the village, Aden barely able to keep up. Suddenly, they came across two jackals blocking their path ahead. Aden instinctively jumped in front of Liu and prepared for a fight, but it never came. The jackals laughed and darted away without another word, leaving Aden scratching his head.

"Let's keep going!" Liu yanked him towards the now clear exit before Aden could question anymore.

They ran directly out into village central where the jackals once blocked their path. A fountain stood tall at the center of the paven clearing, a horde of jackals waiting in a circular formation around the area.

Once again, Aden readied his stance whilst keeping Liu a safe distance behind him, eyeing up each jackal in the process. A hesitation between both parties was thick in the air, nobody dared make that first move. A bead of sweat ran down his face, as he was unsure how many he'd be able to hold off.

Suddenly, each jackal dropped their weapon and fled the scene in nearly perfect sync. Aden felt like his head was about to explode from confusion.

"What just happened…" He muttered to himself.

"Oh Aden!" Liu burst out comically loud, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You did it! You scared them all off!"

"I didn't _do _anything…"

Aden was about to push back more, but his kung fu entourage arrived and robbed him of the opportunity.

"Aden!" Po gawked at the sight of the jackal tails rushing out of view. "Oh man! You really had them running! What super sick movies did you pull out this time?"

"I didn't _DO _anything," Aden repeated, sounding almost exasperated.

"It was incredible, Dragon Warrior!" Liu responded to Po for him. "Those nasty beasts were so frightened by Master Aden that they took off before he even made his first move!"

"Woah, really?" Mantis approached with the furious five.

"I mean..." Aden stalled. "I didn't fight, but I also didn't think I was _that _threatening."

"Modesty suits you," Master Thundering Rhino joined from behind, the rest of his squad in tow. "But, I think this deserves a bit more praise."

Aden's head swiveled like an owl to see everyone gathering. The holiday party and a large portion of the village population began suffocating him with praise.

"What a hero!" Liu exclaimed. "_My _hero!"

Liu nuzzled his neck and wrapped her tail around his waist, an act that caused a certain set of yellow eyes to begin marching away in a fit of rage. The crowd hollard at the affection Aden was receiving from his rescued damsel, while he tried to gently pry her off. She clung to him like glue, and he wasn't interested in making a scene with half the village staring him down, though. The cheering grew louder as the crowd around him grew.

"The night is still young, party people!" Po added. "The festivities shall continue at the one and only Ping's Noodle Shop. We gotta pour a tall one for this guy!"

"This doesn't feel right…" Aden mumbled, a migraine of confusion still boiling in his head.

"Oh, Aden," Liu purred, her grip tightening around him. "I was so scared today. I would've never made it out of there without your help. You… You saved my life today."

Aden coughed awkwardly in response, and began to make an effort to pry her off of him. "I'm very happy you're safe. I didn't do anything, though."

"No, no, no, I simply can't let a heroic act go unnoticed." she playfully protested. "Especially since I've certainly taken notice of you."

She gently dragged her soft paws across his neck leaving light scrapes along the way. "Let me take you out to dinner. I promise to make it worth your while." A giggle escaped her lips.

Liu was attractive, and Aden couldn't deny it any longer. He'd be lying if her offer wasn't at least somewhat enticing. But, he wasn't interested. It baffled him. This is the exact opportunity Crane was talking about, but Aden had no interest. He wasn't opposed to dinner itself. Even if he wasn't interested in dating her, the meal would only be received as a simple thank you. But, the implication made him feel strange, and he just couldn't put his finger on why.

The frustration built in his head until he began searching the crowd for the answer. His eyes danced around the crowd for nothing in particular, the villager's excited faces morphing into a conglomeration of people. One person wasn't morphing in his vision, though. A single individual that stood out to him from everyone else. It was the feeling that a simple glimpse of her striped orange fur pattern gave him solidified his answer. It was the woman that he'd been growing closer to every day. It was the person that he cherished the company of most. Tigress. She was his reason, and he needed to tell her immediately.

"Thanks…" He sighed. "But, no thanks. You seem nice, but I've already taken notice of someone else."

Aden was watching Tigress march away from the crowd when he responded, slowly pulling away from Liu's clutches. She didn't respond right away, and once he'd fully separated himself and turned to face her again, he was met with a look of utter bewilderment.

"Uh, Liu?" He questioned her unmoving features. "Is everything alright?"

She hurriedly shook herself out of her stupor. "Of course! I just wasn't expecting you to… _reject _my offer." An eyelid briefly twitched.

"I'm sorry, Liu. I'm just not interested. Thank you for your offer. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to find someone."

"A-at least let me repay you for your courage and bravery!" She begged.

Aden chuckled under his breath, as he began to push his way out of the crowd. "I'm flattered, really. But, I don't think there's anything you can give me that I want right now."

"How about a way home."

* * *

**Told ya I wasn't leaving ;)**

**Hello my quarantine babies! I hope all is well during these difficult times. **

**Thanks to all those who are still supporting this story :)**

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**Love,**

**Darwin Watterson **


	12. Chapter 12

Aden was frozen in place. The world began to shrink down until it was only Liu and Aden standing in a void. The sounds of commotion vanished, and the echo of Liu giggling grabbed hold of Aden's full attention.

"Nothing I can offer that you want?" Liu mocked flirtily. "It sure seems like there might be something."

Aden didn't respond. He _couldn't _respond. After living here for months, he stopped believing returning home was even an option.

"It's enticing, isn't it?" she continued, moving towards him and resting a paw on his turned back. "All these wonderful friends here, but you'd do just about anything to see your mother's face just one more time."

"W-what?" His eyes began flickering after hearing the word mother. "What are you talking about?"

"A way out of this madness! You think you're comfortable, but do you actually believe you'll find true comfort in this place? You exist in a world of beasts. It's only a matter of time."

Aden became frantic, turned towards her, and gripped her shoulders. "I don't understand. Why are you saying all this? What do you know?!"

Liu laughed and brushed a hand down Aden's chest. "Darling, don't get ahead of yourself. I only want a night with you. I told you I'd make it worth your while."

The human was stuck once again. His mind raced through scenarios, but he never found one that could provide him the answer he needed now. She was a stranger to him, and he had no reason to believe she actually had a way back to his own world. But, could he refuse the opportunity?

A mild groan escaped his lips. "Fine, one meal. That's it."

"That's all I need. Meet me at Tao Li's Cuisine in an hour."

"What? Tonight?"

"Of course, tonight. Did you have something more important than discussing the return to your home world?"

Aden nearly growled under his breath. "I'll see you soon."

"Don't keep a lady waiting," She winked back.

Aden remained motionless, as if he had something more to say. Liu simply giggled and slid into the crowd, vanishing from sight in seconds.

"What just happened?..." Aden asked no one, shaking his head clear.

"Buddy!" Po slammed into Aden. "You've saved the village twice now. Twice!"

"Alright... I guess..." He shook his head, knowing that arguing was futile.

"Well come on then!" Po ushered Aden back towards Mr. Pings, the rest of the furious five except Tigress followed closely behind. "A tall mug of beer awaits you."

Aden sighed happily "That actually would be perfect right now. I need something to calm my nerves."

"After what you did? I bet you do." Crane chimed in.

Aden's eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head. "Not exactly…"

"Does it have something to do with that gorgeous lioness feeling you up for the 2nd time?" Mantis teased from behind him.

Aden's body betrayed him, tensing at Mantis' pinpoint accuracy.

"Ooooo!" Po taunted like a child during lunch time. "Aden's got a girlfriend!"

"Grow up, Po," Aden laughed, a smidgen of defensiveness sneaking its way into his tone.

"So, what _were _you talking about then?" Mantis grinned mischievously.

Aden tensed up again in response. Monkey and Mantis gave each other knowing looks, but their guesses couldn't have been farther off. Aden couldn't care less about Liu asking him out, but telling them she was offering him a way home was a whole other story. How would they take it? He doesn't even know if her offer is real. He has to know for himself first.

Aden sighed exasperatedly, paused momentarily, then spoke. "...A dinner date…"

Po, Mantis, Crane, and Monkey all burst out laughing and patted him on the back, tossing in an "atta boy!" Meanwhile, their snake friend slithered off of Crane's neck and onto Aden's shoulder.

"Aden," Viper calmly yet earnestly addressed. "Are you really going on a date with this woman?"

Aden shrugged, bouncing Viper slightly off his shoulders. "It's just dinner."

"Uh huh," Mantis sarcastically replied. "I bet she has desert planned already."

The guys started giggling again, while Viper grew a slightly sour look on her face, which Aden took note of.

"You alright, Viper?" Aden asked.

"Yeah," she sighed in return. "I guess I'm just confused. I thought there was someone else."

"So, when does this romantic excursion take place?" Crane jumped in before Aden could respond.

"An hour from now," Aden answered.

"An hour?!" The guys exclaimed at once.

"What?..." Aden replied confused.

"That barely gives us enough time to get you ready!" Po yelled.

"Guys, it's fine, really."

"No, no, no," Mantis countered. "We got to dress you up in some new threads for a fine lady like this."

Aden rolled his eyes and tried walking away but was quickly yanked towards the nearest tailor by a panda and monkey.

Meanwhile, a large bag filled with sand was receiving the beating of a lifetime back at the Jade Palace. A female tiger unleashed an unrelenting fury of strikes while pretending it was that beautiful civilian she witnessed rubbing her paws all over Aden. It was the first time in months Tigress had stood drenched in sweat in front of the sack of sand. In fact, it was the first time she'd approached it since her apology to Aden.

She grunted as her fist made contact with a bag, the bottom of it dripping sand like a leaky faucet.

Every hit was a much needed catharsis. It was a type of rage she'd never felt before, and she desperately needed a way to release it. Jealousy hurts. Not the kind of jealousy she felt when Po was chosen as Dragon Warrior, but a much deeper form. The type of jealousy that makes you feel helpless and alone. The type of jealousy you need to take out on inanimate objects instead of the people they represent.

She backed up a few steps, lowered herself to the ground, and lunged at the bag, her foot aimed right for its heart. The sand drip turned into a stream, painting the wooden floor with its grainy texture.

Her rage was dissipating bit by bit, a punch then a kick. She wasn't sure how many hits it would take, but she couldn't stop until she reached it. Each grunt echoed through the night air, yet nobody was around to hear it.

Tigress coiled up once more, her body ready to rid of the feeling once and for all. She let a battlecry loose and launched herself at her opponent. Her body spun horizontally twice before striking the bag with such force that the small rip at the bottom tore halfway up the bag, spreading a tidal wave of sand across the floor.

She plopped herself down and huffed, the now empty punching bag fluttering in the gentle breeze coming from the training hall entrance.

"What do I do?" She asked out loud, desperately hoping the wind would answer her.

"Go to him," the wind answered back.

Tigress shot to her feet and readied her stance at the unknown voice.

"Who's here?!" She demanded, searching for the disembodied voice's origin. "Show yourself!"

Suddenly, a flash of light glowed where the punching bag once hung, and Master Oogway appeared floating a few inches off the ground.

Tigress' eyes grew wide, and her body crumpled to the floor in a bowing position. "Forgive me, Master. I didn't know it was you."

"Now, now, Master Tigress," the turtle chuckled. "No need to get all worked up."

She sheepishly lifted herself up off the ground. "Why have you come here?"

"To help you along your journey."

"My journey? Master, I don't know what you mean."

"So, you aren't in need of guidance, then?"

Tigress remained quiet, which Oogway snickered at.

"You've grown very fond of our new human friend, haven't you?" Oogway continued.

"I have," Tigress sighed. "Everything was so much simpler before he showed up."

"And now it's a problem?"

She hesitated momentarily before responding. "No. it's just… different. The pain I feel now is unlike anything I've felt before."

Oogway nodded. "I understand. So, you've told him then."

Once again, Tigress hesitated before responding. "No."

"Oh? Then what is this pain you feel?"

This time, Tigress didn't respond at all.

The turtle ghost began to chuckle. "The great and powerful Tigress: trains until her knuckles bleed, yet too afraid to ask a boy out."

"What if he doesn't feel similarly?"

"Then, I guess you'll never know." Master Oogway floated silently in the air for a few seconds before continuing. "But, I'm fairly certain the great and powerful Tigress isn't going to let that happen."

With a wink, the turtle apparition zapped out of existence in a flash of golden light, pink petals dancing where he once was. Tigress watched as they twirled through the air and floated out the training hall doors, beckoning her.

She slowly walked past the threshold and out into the night air, inhaling deeply in the process.

"Thank you, Master Oogway," she bowed to the stars.

Then, she was off down the grand staircase back towards Mr. Ping's as quickly as her legs could manage. A newfound courage had nestled inside her heart, and she was ready to pass the precipice that kept her and Aden's relationship at a distance. Rejection had clouded her courage before, and even though the fear still lingered, she was ready to face this challenge. Rejection or not, here she comes.

The sight of a chubby panda gorging himself on dumplings brought Tigress to her Kung Fu friends lounging around a table, chatting idly. Aden was nowhere to be seen.

"Tigress!" Mantis announced as she approached. "Where have you been?"

"I was busy," she replied bluntly. "Where's Aden?"

The boys in the group snickered.

"Just missed him," Monkey answered.

"What do you mean?" She asked, slightly annoyed. "I need to talk to him."

"I don't think he wants to be bothered right now," said Mantis. "At least, I wouldn't want to be harassed on a date."

Tigress' body went stiff as a board.

"He's on… a date?" Tigress choked out.

"It was out of nowhere," Viper jumped in, taking note of Tigress' poor reaction. "I had no idea he'd taken any interest in that lioness."

"You can thank me for that," Crane proudly stated.

Tigress and Viper glared quizzically at Crane.

"He's been struggling with the idea of finding love in our world for a little while," he continued. "I thought I'd help him in the process."

The pair's quizzical glare deepend into a scowl causing Crane to grow flustered.

"So, I uh… suggested he go on… a date?" Crane's voice trailed off as he finished the sentence.

A growl grew in Tigress' throat, her eyes piercing through Crane's frightened demeanor. She spun around in a huff and stormed off into the village.

"Idiot..." Viper scolded, turning around and quickly following Tigress.

"What did I do?..." Crane asked the remaining males, but all of them just shrugged their shoulders.

"Not sure," Mantis replied. "But, what I am sure of is that Crane's getting _nothin' _tonight!"

They all cackled at Crane's expense, a heap of laughter released into the cold.

The Winter Festival was at its peak now, the village bustling with activity. Families and friends from all over China were reuniting to celebrate. Aden stood patiently in front of Tao Li's extravagantly dressed restaurant, casually watching them pass on by. He took note of all the couples enjoying a night out on the town, and he took extra note of the interspecies couples he saw.

"It's just dinner," He muttered to himself. "I explain to Tigress that Liu was just repaying me for saving her life, I tell her my feelings, then everything goes back to normal."

A few seconds passed before he slapped his palm against his forehead. "As if it was that simple… So, I'm just going to lie to her about the way home? Then, I'm going to try and confess my feelings for her? Ugh!"

Aden buried his face in his hands and groaned, ignoring the few villagers shooting him confused looks.

"Well, somebody looks like they're struggling with the morality of their choices when offered the opportunity of a lifetime."

Aden lowered the hands from his face to find a smug Liu staring back at him.

"Liu," he acknowledged plainly.

"Oh, Aden." She playfully scolded. "That's no way to greet the woman buying you dinner. What happened to the charming mammal that saved me?"

"Right, sorry," he rolled his eyes, then gestured to the restaurant entrance. "You look great. Shall we?"

Liu smiled and nodded lightly, then they both entered Tao Li's. The restaurant was almost as loud inside as it was outside. Every table in sight was occupied, and there was a line of 12 people by the entrance waiting to be seated.

"Uh, do you have a reservation?" Aden leaned close to Liu. "The place looks packed."

Liu simply giggled in response and walked up to the host.

"Zhang Wei, it's so lovely seeing you tonight," she hugged the gazelle working tonight. "I'm terribly sorry you have to work during the holidays. I hope you were able to spend some time with your family."

"Always a pleasure, Liu," he happily replied. "I spent plenty of time with the kids earlier, thank you. Follow me to your private suite."

"Wonderful."

The gazelle smiled and gestured for Liu and Aden to follow. They walked closely behind the host, weaving in between tables towards the back end of the room. Their ears were bombarded with dinner conversation from all angles, which Aden found somewhat soothing. It was as if he was blocking out all thoughts of the impending life altering conversation he was about to have. After walking up a short set of stairs, they were led through the double doors to an ornately decorated dining hall. The center table was already prepared with a feast well beyond what either of them could eat.

"Woah," Aden gawked. "This is crazy."

Liu giggled and grabbed his hand as they walked in. "You like?"

"It's beautiful. It seems like you have some great connections at this place."

"More than you would know. I hope you don't mind that I ordered ahead for you."

"Not at all."

Aden removed his hand from hers as they neared the table, two pigs waiting in corners of the room rushed over and pulled their chairs out. They sat down, and Aden got a good look at the bountiful spread. Fresh bread, dumplings, sauteed vegetables, and rice wafted into his nose sending him into a salivating frenzy.

He inhaled the banquet deeply and groaned in anticipation. "Wow, this looks incredible."

"I'm happy that you're happy," she smiled back.

"I'm still not sure that I did anything today, but I appreciate the gesture."

"Consider it an apology dinner as well."

Aden glanced up at her unchanging grin. He'd almost forgotten about her reaction to the first time they met.

'It's… fine," he returned, serving himself from the platters in front of him. "I'm ready to move past that and try becoming friends."

"I'm looking for more than just a friendship, Aden."

Aden stopped loading food onto his plate. "Well, I'm not looking for anything more than that." His tone was a bit more aggressive than he intended.

"I don't believe we fully understand each other."

Aden's aggravation grew. "Then, can you please explain what you want from me?"

"I want to help you. I just need a little help in return."

Aden narrowed his eyes. "I don't like this."

Liu giggled, a hint of mania hidden in its resonance. "You don't even know what I want yet."

"I don't care. This doesn't feel right. I'm not interested in whatever you have to offer anymore."

Liu held up her paws in a yielding fashion, her face relaxed from its previously elevated state. "Ok, I understand. This is a lot for you, and I didn't mean to address it so boldly. I promised you a thank you dinner, so I'll honor that, and then we can go our separate ways."

The corner's of Aden's lips perked up slightly. "Thank you."

Liu reached out and lifted up her wine glass towards Aden. "To friendship?"

Aden's smile was full and bright now, raising his glass as well. "To friendship."

They sipped in sync, then Aden got right to feasting. He grabbed his chopsticks and picked up a dumpling, raising it to his eagerly awaiting mouth. Unfortunately, it never made it to its destination, as it plopped into his lap.

Aden nervously laughed and blushed, which Liu giggled at. He latched onto another dumpling with his chopsticks determined to not embarrass himself again. Sadly, his intense focus was all for naught. The dumpling slipped out between his chopsticks after lifting it only a few inches off the plate.

A frustration built deep within him as he went for another, but this time the chopsticks slipped out of his hands and onto the floor. He attempted to go pick them up, but his arms had grown too heavy. Keeping his head up suddenly became increasingly difficult, and his body slumped forward onto the table. His entire body felt weak and an overwhelming feeling of tiredness began to take over. Aden's head rested on the table and it took every fiber in his body to angle himself just enough to see Liu's maniacal smile watch him fade from consciousness.

"Oh my, you look exhausted," she laughed to herself, standing up from her seat and walking over to him. "Nighty night, Aden."

* * *

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**Clancy**


	13. Chapter 13

Aden awoke gasping for air, water drenching his upper half. His hands were tied behind his back and a bag was draped over his head, obscuring not only his vision but also making it difficult for him to breathe. His feet kicked wildly while cacophonous cackling hit him from every direction.

"What's going on?!" Aden frantically called out.

The laughter only grew in intensity.

The human began hyperventilating and scooted himself backwards using his unbound feet. His back eventually hit a pair of furry legs.

"Now, boys," the sultry sound of Liu's voice identified itself as the owner of said legs. "That's no way to treat our guest of honor."

The bag was violently yanked off Aden's head to reveal a cave of massive proportions. Jackals lined every inch of it, towering hundreds of feet in the air. Rickety wooden staircases were scattered about the area leading up and down to different levels. Surprisingly, the area was lit well, candles lining every few feet of the formation.

"Who the fuck are you?!" Aden frantically yelled.

Liu put a furry finger up to his mouth. "Hush, Aden. I didn't lie to you. My name _is _Liu."

Aden yanked his head away from her finger in disgust. "You didn't _lie _to me? Are you insane?"

"I was only referring to my name," she giggled.

"Why did you bring me here?! What else don't I know?!"

"Well… There is this one other tiny detail I might've left out…"

"Good morning, sunshine!" The grizzly voice of Bang echoed throughout the chasm, sending shivers down Aden's spine. "Did you miss me?"

The human froze in fear, as the boar's massive form walked into view.

"I know, this is probably a lot for you," Bang continued. "But, you were acting so unreasonably at the restaurant. We needed to make sure you understand how these kinds of business transactions work."

"What?!" Aden incredulously shouted.

"Relax, Aden," Liu soothed. "We didn't lie to you completely. We still have a way for you to return to your own world."

"Fuck that!" Aden yelled back. "You're all crazy."

Bang laughed jovially, stomping in place to emphasise it. "That's rich. You're telling me you don't want to get home? You _like _living in this world?"

"I don't want your fucking help!" Aden shouted to bang, then glancing over to Liu. "Why would you do this to me?"

Now it was Liu's turn to laugh. "Tell me this is some kind of joke. You think this was by chance?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"I can't believe this _thing_ would actually believe I wanted him romantically!"

Aden's face was filled with bewilderment until his brain finally made the connection. The seemingly random pattern of ransacking jackals. Finding Liu alone and unscathed upstairs. Jackals retreating from a six on one fight right as the other warriors gathered. It was all a ruse. Every single piece of chaos from the earlier ambush was just part of their scheme to get him alone.

"It was all planned..." Aden muttered. "This entire night was just a ploy to get me alone."

"Only tonight?" Liu giggled. "As if not wearing a mask would've changed anything."

Aden's eyes nearly popped out of his skull this time. "T-the festival?" He stuttered.

"Everyone and their grandma saw some weird shit fall out of the sky," Bang answered. "We're the ones that saw it land at the Jade Palace. A little while later, we see some random mammal hanging around the furious five? Didn't take us long to put the pieces together."

Aden's body began to shake with rage. Even with his bound arms, Aden was able to rock his body forward onto his knees.

"You fucking monster!" he screamed, nearly falling forward onto his face. "You turned the entire village against me! I was attacked! I was humiliated! I was already alone in this world, and you made sure I wouldn't forget it!"

"Aden, Aden, Aden, Aden, Aden…" Bang shook his head to emphasize each time he said his name, and began walking towards the dazed human. "We didn't turn anybody against you."

"What?!" Aden's voice cracked.

"You said it yourself: You were already alone"

Aden couldn't take anymore of this. He quickly lunged forward, propelling himself up and then charged at the towering boar. Bang ambled at the same speed, his face dawning a look of amusement.

_WHACK!_

A staff the size of a broom handle smashed into the human's chest, stopping his forward momentum and sending his back painfully to the ground. The jackals burst into a cackling fest, while Aden wheezed in pain. The jackal that swung the staff bopped him lightly on the head with it in a mocking fashion.

Bang sauntered up to Aden's writhing body and bent his torso over him, hands on his hips as if he was scolding a young child.

"You done?" Bang raised an eyebrow.

Aden growled and attempted to spit in Bang's direction, but the pain caused him to drool down his chin. Bang chuckled at the sight.

"You're an outcast," bang continued speaking, walking around his body. "You don't belong here. You _think _you're comfortable, but you know you hate it here

"Fuck you!" Aden shouted at Bang, hoisting himself up into a sitting position. "I love my friends!"

"Then why did you come to dinner?" Liu's smug voice cut into the conversation.

Aden was caught like a deer in headlights. Why _did _he go?

"I don't know…" He mumbled.

"You don't know?" Bang rolled his eyes and laughed. "Bull shit. You know exactly why you went."

"I'd wager he thinks I was genuinely interested in him," Liu laughed. "Imagine that, the alien thinks he had a chance of love. I nearly had a conniption when he rejected me. _It _rejected _me_! To think that any mammal on this planet would fall for a hairless freak is beyond me."

Aden's body went stiff. He wasn't even remotely interested in Liu, but something in her words cut him deeper than he could've imagined, and the jackals laughing along didn't help either. He was ripped from his reality when he first opened his eyes here, and now it was as if his reality was being yanked away once again.

"Enough harassing him," Bang's boisterous voice silenced the room. "We have business to do."

Bang turned his attention to Aden who's rage had magically transformed into pure confusion.

"Now, this'll be the easiest transaction of your life. We get you home, you get us what we want. Turns out, what we want _is _what gets you home. Simple, right?"

Aden remained quiet.

"The Jade Crystals, powerful artifacts that can open a rift in our dimension long enough for you to return to yours. Time will still have passed, but hey, better back late than never."

"F-fuck you," Aden stuttered.

Bang tsked and shook his head. "That's no way to treat the mammal trying to help you."

"Help me?! You almost killed me!"

"I had no idea we were on the same side at the time. Individuals shit on by life's dirty tricks. Nobody accepted you for who you were. Imagine if your little cat friend wasn't there to protect you. Where do you think you'd be?"

Bang paused briefly before resuming.

"We're only trying to get what we need to survive. We live in a cave for fucks sake! Just one of those crystals has enough power to supply our entire colony with energy to survive outside this awful place for years to come. We only need one of them to send you home. We leave the Valley of Peace alone, and you get to go home. Win-win in my scroll."

The human sat still, absorbing everything the boar had said.

"This has got to be some sort of trick." Aden accused.

"You're not dead, are you?"

Another pause from Aden and chuckles from the peanut gallery engulfed the room. A way out and safety for the village. A guaranteed easy out was just handed to him on a silver platter.

"I'll think about it..." he mumbled

Bang burst out in guttural laughter at Aden's response. "Fuck that. You'll do it tonight."

Aden's eyes grew wide. "Tonight?!"

"Duh, tonight," Bang rolled his eyes. "This ain't some well written, popular, anthropomorphic, cartoon trilogy from another dimension. You bring it back tonight or say goodbye to your human family forever. The choice is yours."

Aden looked towards the ground and gulped. The weight of this decision sat on his shoulders like cinder blocks. The world would always be a scary place, but he wasn't sure which world he wanted that to be.

"I…" Aden hesitated knowing the next words out of his mouth would change everything. "I'll do it."

"Good choice," a smile grew on Bang's face. "You won't regret it."

Aden sighed in response.

"Bring the crystals to Tao Li's and you'll be out of this hell hole before morning."

"Ok…" Was all Aden could muster.

Bang turned around, gave a half-assed wave with his hoof, and began walking away. "Have a nice nap."

_THUNK_

Aden awoke taking in a sharp intake of air. His head throbbed in immense pain from being knocked out by one of Bang's lackeys. His eyes were darting around the familiar room that Liu had poisoned him in hours ago. The table was devoid of any food which had teased lips earlier, and the guards no longer stood near the room's edges. Only a single candle sat at the center of the table, illuminating the walls and ceiling in a dancin glow.

The human slowly lifted his body up, shifting his weight to his feet and rubbing his aching forehead in the process. He trudged towards the beautiful wooden doors and heaved them open with his right shoulder.

He was preparing for his ears to be bombarded with mindless chatter from the dinner patrons, but he instead entered a room of eerie silence. Chairs and stools sat upside down on the tables, and the room was completely unlit except for a candle flickering near the entrance. He walked through the sea of tables and out into the silent night's air.

"What time is it?" Aden rubbed his head some more.

"Late enough," a low voice answered.

Aden turned to find Huan walking in his direction tugging along a wooden cart filled with liquor. The rickety contraption echoed as it traversed the cobblestone.

"Huan," Aden said with a bit of surprise. "What're you doing out?"

"Just closed up for the night. Holidays are always the busiest, but it sure does put some weight in these pockets!" Huan laughed.

Aden tried to laugh along, but a guilty feeling welled in his stomach.

"What's wrong, son?" Huan took notice of Aden's somber behavior.

"Oh, nothing," he lied. "Just tired is all."

Huan wasn't buying it but decided against pushing the issue. "Well, I hope you had a good Winter Festival. We really appreciate what you do for us."

"_us_?"

"The Valley of Peace, ya knucklehead! You've helped our village in ways we never coulda' expected. You fit in real well with the family here." Huan laughed.

Hearing the word family caused Aden to cough, as if he got the word caught in his throat.

"I… I don't know what to say," Aden softly replied while staring at the ground. "Thank you."

Huan smiled warmly and patted him on the back. "No need to thank me. Just keep doin' great things."

With that, the wolf raised the arms to his cart once more and began trudging off into the night.

"Take care."

"You too."

The sound of the cart's heavy wooden wheels slowly faded out of existence, and Aden was once again left alone with his thoughts. He didn't dare move yet, even though he knew there was only one place he had to go. Each step would lead him closer to the choice he'd inevitably have to make.

The human inhaled deeply and took his first step towards the Jade Palace. Each slap of his foot against the ground cut through the stillness of the night. His pace was slow, and his breaths were even and methodical as he wandered through the village. It was his own form of meditation. He used to take walks just like this all the time in his old world. It helped him think.

Aden stopped once he had reached the bottom of the towering staircase. He scraped his feet lightly against the stone, as if he was feeling it for the last time. Then, he looked up. He wasn't sure why he did, but something deep was telling him to gaze at the stars. His eyes filled with the endless twinkling of other worlds.

_You fit in real well with the family here._

Aden blinked.

_To the greatest brother we never knew we needed!_

Aden blinked again.

_Thank you, Aden. For everything._

The mental image of Tigress wrapping her arms around him immediately melted his heart. His eyes slowly lowered from the night sky and up towards his home.

Aden blinked once more.

His _home._

Aden saw Huan as a good friend, but right now he saw him as his savior. The path to righteousness didn't involve betraying his friends. Home wasn't the place he came from. Home was the place he had found.

A smile formed on his cheeks as he took his first couple steps up the massive set of stairs. A newfound hope was building in his chest as his pace quickened. He was on his way home. He was ready to beg for forgiveness for deceiving his family. He was ready to admit to Tigress his true feelings

Aden's body was exhausted, but right now he had bouts of energy. He darted past the main gate and swung open the doors of the main hall to find Tigress standing alone in near darkness. The sight of her piercing orange eyes and her shadowy figure nearly startled him.

"Tigress!" Aden addressed, slightly shocked at her sudden appearance.

"Aden…" She responded, her tone a bit despondent.

Aden dawned a curious look. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Even in the dark, Aden could tell there was something off about Tigress. Her whole demeanor seemed anxious and shaken. Her fur was disheveled, and it looked like she hadn't slept in a week even though he saw her just a few hours ago.

"You don't seem fine," said Aden.

"I'm _fine,_" she answered more aggressively.

"Tigress, is something-"

"Where were you?"

Aden was taken aback by her interruption. He didn't intend to jump into this difficult conversation so quickly, but it looked like he had no choice.

He sighed briefly. "Tigress, I need to tell you something…"

"You were on a date."

"Well, I went out to dinner, but that's not-"

"And it went well?" Tigress interrupted curtly.

Aden shook his head in disbelief at her strange behavior. "Tigress, I don't understand-"

"And, she didn't mind?" She interrupted again.

Aden was at his breaking point and finally snapped in response. "What are you talking about?!"

"She didn't mind that you're different?"

_I can't believe this thing would actually believe I wanted him romantically!_

Aden's world came crashing down around him. It wasn't news to him that he wasn't native to this world, but this is the first time those words escaped Tigress' lips. His best friend. The one individual that brought him the deepest sense of comfort in his new world. The one he loved.

"Tigress…" He choked out. "What are you saying?"

Tigress scoffed. "What am _I _saying? You're the one that decided to go out with her. I'm just pointing out the obvious."

_To think that any mammal on this planet would fall for a hairless freak is beyond me._

Aden felt like he was going to collapse any second. One stab to the heart he might've been able to survive, but two stabs was a fatality.

"I didn't know you felt that way," he held back tears with everything he could. "I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?" Hostility still spilled from her words. "It's your life. Do as you wish."

_You're an outcast. You don't belong here. You think you're comfortable, but you know you hate it here._

Stab after stab, Tigress let his heart bleed dry until all he could muster was a simple "Ok…"

_She didn't mind that you're different?_

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Aden held back tears, which Tigress couldn't see with only the moonlight creeping in from the hall entrance. Neither knew what to say. Neither knew what to do. So, Aden did the one thing he thought he'd never in a million years tell Tigress.

"I need to be alone." He said dejectedly.

Tigress' eyes rapidly changed from irritated to remorseful, but Aden took no notice of it.

"Ok. Good night." She stated plainly.

Then, his once closest friend turned and began fading into the darkness towards the student barracks, silence engulfing the room even further.

What just transpired? The change of heart he had sprinting up the stairs had been smashed into a billion little pieces, his heart had been ripped to shreds, and the hope of finding comfort in the Jade Palace had vanished. Which way was forward? What was home to him? Aden hadn't moved for nearly 10 minutes at this point. It's as if his body had been frozen in time. The longer he stood there, the longer he wouldn't have to accept that he's only just a soul lost in the universe.

A sniffle sounded into the night, as the first tear splashed quietly. The subtle creaks and groans of the floorboards echoing came next. Then, the Jade Crystals disappeared from their pedestal.

* * *

**Dun dun duuuuuun! Will Aden betray his furry friends? Will Zuko stop being such a lil bitch to Uncle Iroh? Will Finn ever realize that Jake the Dog doesn't provide very good dating advice? Find out! On the next episode of Naruto!**

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**L****ove you all 3 **


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